Though they were trying their hardest to speed their way back to the cave, the fight amongst the monsters still caught up to them - two monsters of great sizes, one a lizard with two razor-sharp retractable tentacle-spikes on its back and a forked tail, and the other one a slimy octopus-like blob with at least a dozen tentacles fell just behind them while they were entangled with each other during their fight.

“Motherfucker!” the shockwave from their violent fall sent Jianmen and Josephine Wong in the air, Jianmen cursed and grabbed onto the branch of a tree, and Josephine Wong grabbed onto his left ankle to prevent themselves from being sent too far away.

The two monsters paused their fight for a brief moment and stared at Jianmen and Josephine Wong and it was only at this moment did Josephine Wong see clearly what the octopus/blob monster looked like - it had a lot of small scales on its body, which shined in ever shifting colors forming some kind of wave visual effect; it had many small eyes spread across its body and even its tentacles, which made it even more creepy when almost all the eyes are fixated in their direction. After the brief pause, the two monsters continued with their fight, as the octopus monster tried to wrap its tentacles around more parts of its opponent, and the giant lizard continuously tried to jab the octopus monster with the sharp tentacle-spike on its back.

Both Jianmen and Josephine Wong took advantage of the fact that these two monsters were preoccupied with their fight, as they got down from the tree and tried to rush back to the cave, while still remembering to use track removal and obscuring spells to clean up the energy signatures, scent and footprints they left behind.

“What just happened?” the moment they came back into the cave, Josephine Wong asked Jianmen.

“What just what?” Jianmen asked while sitting down by the fire.

“You cursed, and they just stopped.” Josephine Wong walked to the bed and sat down on it while keeping her eyes on Jianmen: “Why’d they stop?”

“But they didn’t stop. They just paused and then just continued trying to kill each other.” Jianmen shrugged while he took out the crystals and gems he collected and laid them on the ground around the fire.

“Yeah, but they DID pause.” Josephine Wong gently narrowed her eyes: “Monsters and creatures like that don’t stop just because you cursed - human pets barely do that. I mean, I am not trying to pry, but I’d appreciate it if you could let me know why it happened. Because I want to leave this place some day with my teammates and I could really use your help if you can do that on a more controllable and prolonged basis.”

“Well, that I can tell you - I probably can’t do that.” Jianmen shook his head: “Once I recover more I would probably be able to do that more often.”

“Okay. Let me try to guess then.” Josephine Wong stood up and sat by the fire beside Jianmen: “You are heavily injured, by some kind of terrible power. Like your right hand - but I did notice that it is indeed slowly growing back. And though the energy fields being what they were, I still sensed the burst of energy in your curse. It’s a kind of symbolic energy like that of ancient runes and True Words. The thing that still doesn’t fit here, is that a single English curse word like ‘Motherfucker’ shouldn’t carry that kind of power and energy.”

“Right, you’re very well read.” Jianmen picked up a piece of gem on the ground, and with a wave of his hand, he conjured a small stone knife from the ground and started chiselling the gem with it: “And I think I know where you’re going - I’m not ...”

“So here’s my wild guess - you were smited by a god, or something that possess god level power.” Josephine Wong stared at Jianmen while she continued speaking: “And that kind of wounds don’t heal - for mere mortals at least. But like I said earlier, I noticed that your hand is growing back, which means that you have, or at least you had once been infused with similar levels of power - god level power.”

“... you are very observant. Good. Nice. Smart. Cool...” Jianmen almost dropped the stone knife, but he smiled and nodded in approval and an impressed look on his face.

“Thanks, thanks, thanks and thanks.” Josephine Wong smiled back: “So, am I right? Don’t worry, I’ll keep your answer a secret.”

“I had godhood, once.” Jianmen chuckled and answered: “I don’t have it now, and I don’t have it here. And this?” Jianmen showed Josephine Wong her right forearm without a hand: “This is somewhat related to a god as well. A pretty nasty one as well.”

“Hmm.” Josephine Wong nodded, smiled and lightly gasped: “Yeah… good… That’s uh… that’s good to know.”

“If you’re interested in knowing more about godhood, I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything about it.” Jianmen said: “Your power’s very impressive, but godhood’s kind of uh...”

“...kind of forbidden knowledge that will fry my brain, burn my eyes, tear apart my eardrums and sucking all my nerves dry.” Josephine Wong rubbed her temples and said: “Yeah, I know, I know a poor bastard who got touched by that.”

“How did you come to the idea of godhood in the first place?” Jianmen continued chiselling the gem: “I would assume that the academy you’re from doesn't offer that in 101 classes.”

“This is gonna be cheesy, but I kinda sensed something … cosmic the moment I met you.” Josephine Wong asked: “That poor bastard I told you about? I was there when he got smited by the knowledge, and I haven’t forgotten anything about that energy signature. You had a little bit of that lingering on your right hand as well.”

“Hmm.” Jianmen thought for a while, then he said: “Can you show me your hand? I would like to check your pulse if you don’t mind.”

“Umm, okay, what about it?” Josephine Wong gave Jianmen her right hand.