“A five days what? I am struck here for the next five days?”

“Hey, I didn’t tell you enter the portal. You did that on your own.”

“What if I am on one of your tasks with a time limit? I could die here with no way to complete it.”

“That’s not my problem. You just need to find another way to get off the island, though it might be a little difficult with the protection around the island.”

“What protection?”

“You see the mist on the horizon?” Victor nodded, and Reunion continued. “This island is mystical in nature and that mist protects it from intruders. Any living thing that is dumb enough to try to enter the island by air or water will be confused by the fog and diverted off course. The mist will also protect the island from sensors. Satellites in space will not be able to notice the island.”

Victor’s eye widened at this. “When you said you are giving me an island, I thought it was just a normal island. This island is anything but normal, is it?”

“Of course, it isn’t!” Reunion giggled. “There’s more, but it’s better to show than to tell. Follow that path to the left of you.”

Victor looked to his left and saw the path Reunion mentioned. It cuts into the jungle. Victor wasn’t a fan of trekking into an unknown jungle, but with the heat of the sun pounding down on him, he quickly made his way into the shade. The canopy of the jungle was cooling, though Victor was more than a little unnerved by the quiet of the jungle. There is no sound of any insect, bird or reptile. It was as if there was nothing alive on this island. Only the steady rhythm of the distancing ocean waves could be heard. That, and the stomping steps of Reunion. Victor looked back and realized that the system was having problems navigating the jungle trail. The system was unused to walking.

Victor could not help but silently laugh at the system’s predicament. The stomping only lasted for a few minutes though. The next time Victor looked back; Reunion was now floating in mid-air. The system was quick to defend himself.

“I am The Spirit of the Island, right? Spirits floated.”

Victor just rolled his eyes and continued. As he followed the path through the jungle, Victor began noticing that this jungle was a little different. He was no naturalist, but the tree and flowers he passed seemed a little different from normal. He decided to get some answers from the system.

“Reunion, where did this island come from?”

“It’s an uninhibited island from a world called The Nine Lands. Don’t worry, no one will miss it.”

“Is that why the trees and plants looked different? Why did you pick an island from another world? There must be some deserted island in this world.”

“Yes, there are but the islands on this world won’t be able to help your cultivation. This island will.”

“How?”

“Though it is very similar to Nexus, The Nine Land is a cultivation world. Qi is a part of nature there, and it affects everything. Humans and animals are not the only ones who can be affected by qi. Qi can change plants, trees, even the soil you walk on. That’s why the island looks a little different to you. Nature itself has been changed by qi.”

“That explains the differences, but how would that help my cultivation?”

“Just get to the end of the path and you will find out.”

Victor shook his head and kept walking. After walking a short distance, Victor heard the unmistakable sound of rushing water. He quickened his steps and the end of the path led him to a small river. There was a wooden bridge across the river, and on the other side of the river was a small building. Victor only had eyes for the waterfall.

It was over fifty meters tall and its width was a little under twenty meters. Falling off a cliff, the waterfall had water clear enough that it looked like a piece of white silk was hanging over the side of a mountain. It was a picture of beauty as the water splashed high into the air after bouncing off the surface below.

Victor savored the scene briefly before looking up at the cliff where the waterfall was coming from. The water rushed down and fed the river, but where did it come from? There was no mountain in sight. Victor figured it was a question for another time. He mounted the bridge and immediately felt the qi.

Victor ran his fingers across the wooden bridge and felt the touch of qi. This wooden bridge had qi. Victor couldn’t even begin to comprehend how that was possible and was humbled by the knowledge. He decided then that the study of cultivation was something he must pursue.

Victor walked down from the bridge and walked towards the building. The winding pathway leading to it was paved with cobblestones and a breeze swept through the area. Dried fallen leaves rustled through the air. Victor continued down the winding path. Soon, he arrived at the building. Victor noticed that it was a homestead and there was even a barn to the side of it. The homestead looked to be entirely built of wood and was in good shape.

Victor opened the door of the building and looked inside. Victor saw a few tables and chairs within. There was an area that looked like the kitchen, and Victor saw a few rooms. Everything looked to be in good condition though a little disused. There was a layer of dust on everything. Victor took a step into the homestead.

Qi erupted. Air raced out of the homestead, taking with it all the dust in the house. Victor stood motionless, one foot in the homestead. Of all the things he had experienced in his life, this had to be one of the strangest. Qi can clean a house. Even the white jacket he had been wearing for days smelled clean and fresh. It seemed a total waste, but Victor was appreciative. He hated cleaning.