Flying in the sky over the desert sands of Sahbadia, a young apprentice and his teacher discussed matters of great importance to the whole universe.

“So, I’m OP, right?”

Or maybe, just for the ego of the young disciple.

Ethan had a smug smile on his face. He was sitting next to his Master on a crystal platform. Near them, there were bowls full of popcorn and glasses filled with Cola that Navin had made appear. The taste was the same as the food and drink Ethan knew from his home, it gave Ethan a sense of melancholy, but he pushed that down to the bottom of his mind for now.

There were more joyful things in which to focus his attention.

“OP?”

Navin asked with a raised eyebrow. He understood what Ethan meant, the intention seemed correct, but something about the use of that word seemed… wrong.

“OP means Overpowered. It’s when a character is super powerful, to the point of making the game seem unfair, due to the huge difference with others.”

“Wouldn’t the correct word be ‘overpowering’?”

His Master asked again. His face tilting to the side in confusion.

“No, the term here refers to the fact that they have been overly powered by the game makers.”

“Ah, I see. But it still seems wrong. I’m no expert in your world’s languages but that error seems pretty glaring. It’s like the difference between punching and punched, or more similarly, the difference between being overwhelming and being overwhelmed. One is something you are or do, while the other is something that happens to you.”

Navin made two columns of words appear in the air between him and Ethan, one showing words ending in –ing, while the other showed the counterpart of those words but this time ended in –ed.

Overwhelming Overwhelmed Attacking Attacked Watching Watched Touching Touched Overpowering Overpowered

Ethan stared at the two columns for a whole minute. He decided his Master was very possibly right but shrugged anyway. He had never really cared about the logic and origin of the phrase and terms.

Slangs just needed to make sense to the speakers, not to the dictionaries.

“Whatever. I guess colloquial terms never care much about proper grammar rules anyways. Let’s just call it OP, alright?”

Navin shrugged too. Not interested in engaging in a discussion about grammar. There was a more important point to address among everything his disciple had said.

“As you wish. Your culture has a funny way of naming things. Yeah, you have amazing potential, I had already told you that when we first met, but don’t let it go to your head, okay? Getting arrogant will make you commit dumb mistakes, that is a fast-track way to get yourself killed. You are only getting started, you have seen nothing of what you are capable of doing.”

Arrogance was a weakness many people with talent had, and if it was allowed to grow unchecked then it would twist their behaviors. Making them prone to having conflicts with others out of petty reasons, and taking unnecessary risks due to blindly believing themselves invincible.

“Fiiineeee. I won’t get cocky about it. What a killjoy.”

Ethan mumbled the last part and munched some popcorn. His Master, of course, heard him perfectly.

“Better to have you mumbling at me now than have you screaming for help later. It’s fine to be proud of your talents, but don’t grow overconfident.”

Navin commented while laughing lightly. He grabbed a bunch of popcorn and made a hamburger and a bowl full of fries appear.

He pointed at the new food, silently inquiring to Ethan whether he wanted one too. Ethan shook his head and grabbed some popcorn, he had eaten a lot of food during the banquet in the plaza of Lauhr City.

“Yes, yes. Not arrogant, just confident in my abilities. I will keep it in mind.”

Ethan replied with a laugh and continued eating popcorn distractedly as he looked around. The stars were brilliant and beautiful in the predawn sky.

And then he remembered something and put the bowl with popcorn down.

Ethan remembered a moment during his dance with Issima, when he had mentally asked a question to his Master and saw the stars form the word ‘NO’.

He wanted to believe in that answer, but he still felt like he needed to ask the question again, to obtain a face-to-face answer. His face turned serious and his voice was low when he spoke again.

“Hey, Master? I want to ask you something.”

Ethan spoke in a low voice. Navin finished his hamburger and looked at Ethan, noticing the change in his emotions.

“What is it, Ethan?”

Ethan looked at his Master in the eyes. Pure blue eyes regarded him with full attention, silently studying him. Ethan knew those eyes could read him like an open book.

And yet, Ethan kept his gaze locked at them. He had to ask, he needed to voice his doubts out loud, and he needed to hear the answer.

“You have done something to me, right? To my mind, I mean.”

Ethan stared at his Master. Navin was silent, there was not even the slightest change in his expression. A perfect poker face.

“What makes you think that?”

That, Ethan observed, was not a denial. His Master’s expression was calm, but he wasn’t smiling anymore.

Neither was Ethan.

“I had my doubts during our journey in the desert, I was always cheerfully thinking about many things, but the first night I spent here I had nightmares, just after you left. I spent three whole days without any sadness, I didn’t even think about my parents, just getting distracted and focused on whatever was in front of me at the moment. That doesn’t make any sense! How could I be so carefree and laughing as if nothing happened, when my whole planet is dead?”

Ethan’s voice rose more and more as he spoke. It was as if the fear, sadness, and frustration that he had bottled up were all gushing out, turning into an explosion of rage and confusion.

“All these days, I felt as if I was in some game, enjoying the feeling of strength and the training. That would be fine and all, but I noticed something today. You know, back in my home, I used to flinch if dogs barked at me. I avoided them, thinking that they could bite me, but I saw monsters today, giant freaking monsters! And I wasn’t scared, just surprised! I was chased by a fucking horde of them and yet I steadily ran, listening to you and even rode a monster bird on my way back to the city. I even thought that the monsters were interesting and made plans of killing them as if I was some player getting experience to level up! That’s not natural, that’s fucked up! It's insane! So tell me, did you do something to me? What exactly did you do to my mind?”

Ethan didn’t know how to feel about it. Navin was the person who had gotten him out from his world after it broke and everyone else died.

He wanted to trust him, to believe that if he had done something to spare him the pain of grieving then it was for the best. But to think that it had been done without his knowledge was something that infuriated him. It hadn’t seemed like a big deal, but now that he gave voice to his feelings he realized just how much it mattered.

“I have not played with your mind, Ethan. I swear that on my honor as a Cultivator. But you have been affected by my presence, that much is true.”

Navin calmly replied and transformed into a crimson-golden Phoenix.

Ethan could feel immediately how his mind grew calm, there was something soothing and relaxing about the warmth of the Phoenix that made him regain control of his emotions. What’s more, this warm sensation made him subconsciously think of only happy or entertaining matters. His mind was already drifting into the events of today, looking at them from the angle of a cheerful adventurer enjoying a life full of excitement.

It was only for a few seconds, yet the influence was so evident and powerful. Navin returned to Human form and the calming effect vanished.

Ethan trembled, was this what had been happening? He hadn’t noticed anything at all until now.

“Yes, I have been affecting you, but not out of malice, and I haven’t manipulated your thoughts either. You experienced an extremely painful and traumatic event, it’s not something that can be healed in a matter of days, it’s a long process. When I met you in the rift between dimensions, you were about to collapse, when I brought you back to your world your mind was unstable, the sight of the dismembered bodies strewn on the streets could have driven you insane. To recover from such trauma, you need help. It’s not something to treat lightly. Phoenixes are creatures of life and fire, their aura possesses a healing effect for the body, mind, and soul. I have been using my aura to help you recover, to maintain peace of mind whenever possible and to prevent you from falling into depression.”

Navin spoke in a clear voice, his tone was calm and steady. He measured his words to try to appease Ethan and clear any doubts he might be having.

“Is that so? So what, now I’m some kind of addict to your magic aura of calm or what? Are you gonna drop me into some alien shrink next? Or worse, are you playing to be a psychiatrist with my head?”

Ethan was in pain. It wasn’t something physical, but emotional. His mind was in disarray; he didn’t know what to think or feel about this situation. He didn’t want to be ungrateful to the person who had helped him so much, but he couldn’t control his own feelings.

It hurt, to feel like he was no longer in control of his own life.

Ethan stood up, not caring that he was on a floating platform at who knows how many dozens of meters up in the sky.

As Ethan stepped away from Navin, he noticed the platform expanding underneath his feet. It had been only a few meters wide, now it was dozens of meters wide, giving ample area for Ethan to walk on, pace, and even jump all he wanted without fear of falling off. They hadn’t even stopped flying.

“No, Ethan. I would not abandon you, and definitely not in your current state. By being near me, under the effects of the healing aura, your mind is healed little by little, but that doesn’t mean that you are dependent on me to heal. It’s a process, something that you must handle yourself, at your own rhythm. I can help, but it all ultimately depends on you.”

Navin stood up too, looking back at the nervous wreck that Ethan was turning into. He didn’t approach Ethan, opting to give him space to vent his emotions.

“I just want you to know, Ethan, that I am here for you, for anything you need. Remember that you are not alone and that the people you care about can be saved, they are not dead, they are in a coma. Once that world stabilizes we can go back and fix it. We can save everyone.”

That gave Ethan pause. The thought of the people of his world.

His family and friends who had been brutally killed when space fragmented, they could all be saved.

By Navin.

Navin had been the one to tell him there was a method to save everyone in his world. He had brought Ethan with him to another dimension while they waited for his world to stop changing and to help Ethan gain control of his newfound strength as the only survivor of Tergan.

It was the reason Ethan had accepted becoming Navin’s Disciple, and spent the following days training in the ways to handle energy.

For that, Ethan would be eternally grateful. And because of that gratitude, he was willing to trust him.

“As for why you treat this journey as an adventure in a game… that’s on you.”

Navin continued. His smile returned, he was actually a bit relieved to be openly addressing this issue. Since it was beneficial for Ethan’s mental health to speak out his feelings and confront his problems.

“I think it’s a defense mechanism of your mind, to alienate the events and treat them as something different. It’s because what you have been living during these past few days is something out of a fantasy in your world, in stark contrast with the normal ordinary life you had been living until now. It’s fine, this is a new life for you, you are no longer the same as you were a week ago. Just know that this is real, and not a game. You can’t be completely disassociated from the reality that surrounds you, but you don’t have to be swallowed by it either.”

Navin smile turned into a grin, his eyes shone as sapphires with a gaze that made Ethan think he was staring at an apex predator from the wilderness. But the glare wasn’t hostile, it was a promise of support.

“We are Cultivators. If the world opposes us, we will trample it under our feet. If the Heavens try to oppress us, we will split them open and rise above. Look at how the world is, then imagine how you want it to be, use your power to make both coincide. And if you ever think that you are not enough to manage the difficulties on your way…”

Navin extended his left hand and grasped Ethan’s shoulder, then touched his own chest with his right hand.

“Remember that you have me with you, we are family now, and I will forever be your ally.”

Navin’s words shook Ethan.

Ethan felt a knot in his throat. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. Tears were threatening to flow out.

Ethan stepped forwards and hugged Navin, the only support he had in this alien world, the only hope he had to revive the people that he cared about.

His Master was a stranger too, but one who had so far been helpful and had taken care of Ethan when he would have probably gone insane before dying in that wrecked place that was his homeland right now.

Navin was the only support he had right now, so Ethan clutched to him desperately. Navin returned his disciple’s hug, but he no longer released any aura to calm his mind. He just stood there in silence, letting Ethan lean on him, patiently waiting for him to recover his calm by himself.

After a couple of minutes passed, Ethan let go of him.

“I’m sorry that I snapped at you.”

Ethan’s voice was a bit hoarse and low. He sniffed and brushed at his eyes to clean away the tears.

Navin merely shook his head. There was nothing to blame about Ethan’s actions, Navin wouldn’t criticize a teenager who had just lost his family barely a week ago for being angry or sad. He didn’t care if Ethan screamed at him to vent his frustrations.

It was nothing that they couldn’t leave in the past and move on.

And he trusted Ethan to be able to overcome this difficulty. Navin knew that Ethan’s mental fortitude was above average; besides, the boosts given to him as the lone survivor of his world and by practicing Primordial Soul Profound Breath Cultivation Art were not to be underestimated.

“Don’t worry about it. If you ever feel the need to talk, I’m right here, I’m all ears. I’m not just a mysterious old wizard teaching you how to be powerful. I am your teacher, here to guide you, protect you and help you with anything you need.”

He waved his hand and a white wooden door appeared next to them. It opened by itself and revealed the same house design where Ethan had been sleeping and resting the last few days before arriving at Lauhr City.

A small house that Navin made appear each time they rested, complete with bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

“If you want to refresh and take some rest, go ahead.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Ethan stopped in front of the open door and turned his head slightly. He spoke in a very soft voice, barely audible.

“Master?”

“Yes, Ethan?”

“Thank you, for everything.”

Without waiting for any response, he walked through the door and closed it.

Navin looked at the closed door for a couple of seconds before replying in a soft voice.

“Anytime, Ethan. Anytime.”

When Aina got out of the house that morning to do some exercise, she was greeted by the sound of rain and gray skies all around. She stepped outside, feeling the cold droplets falling on her face and arms.

She hadn’t noticed the weather while inside the Traveler’s Cabin. A quick look at the house showed her why: there was a barrier around the artifact she called her new home, preventing it from being sullied by foreign substances. Dirt would never adhere to it, even the rain was just sliding off the tiles and walls.

It might have been raining heavily during the night and she wouldn’t have noticed.

Right now it wasn’t a strong downpour, but the skies were covered by dense clouds and there was a soft breeze blowing, making it a cold morning. For Aina though, it was just a fresh morning.

She turned her head and found her Master standing in the rain with open arms. He was wearing only a pair of soft blue sports pants, smiling as the rain fell over him.

“Master!”

Aina yelled at him and walked over to his side, feeling the wet earth under her feet. Every day, she felt herself growing stronger, more aware of her surroundings.

Her senses were expanding, and she enjoyed every moment of it.

“Good morning, Aina. Did you sleep well?”

Navin turned and patted her on the head.

“Good morning, Master. I didn’t notice it was raining until now.”

Aina replied with a smile. All around she could see gray clouds on the sky, it seemed it was going to be like that all day.

“It started raining hours ago, it’s almost over.”

Navin replied and resumed his stance of enjoying the rain with open arms.

Aina stood by his side and imitated his posture, spreading her arms and feeling the rain on her skin. She took a deep breath, using her cultivation method out of habit, feeling the Qi running through her body.

The world felt different.

This was the first time Aina used her breathing method while under the rain, it was a completely different experience compared to using it on a sunny day.

It was as if the rain was forming a link between the sky and the ground, energy was constantly moving around. With every breath, Aina felt the clouds gathering, the wind blowing, the rain falling from high above and the earth embracing the water, there were plants all around absorbing the rain.

There was a rhythm to it, a cycle that encompassed all of the world which Aina was barely starting to glimpse. The more she learned about it, the more she liked it.

High in the clouds, Aina could feel energy gathering, a rampaging force was starting to form. Aina recognized it, lightning was going to fall.

She carefully observed that patch of clouds, feeling the energy. For a moment, she thought she could taste the electricity moving in the air. Driven by an impulse, Aina reached for the lightning with her hand.

In her mind, she saw the energy accumulate, the lightning formed in the clouds above, she reached for it.

And the lightning descended from the sky, striking Aina directly into her mouth as she was taking a deep breath.

In a flashing moment, Aina felt the searing heat and force of the lightning, but the heat, force, and electricity were absorbed by her Cultivation Core, protecting her from any damage.

“Couldn’t wait for breakfast, eh?”

Navin laughed as Aina was stunned for this strange event. She looked up to him and blinked many times.

The lightning was channeled in an instant towards the small sphere she had prepared the day before. Despite Aina’s effort in keeping it complete, the sphere had decreased in size and strength over the night, now there was barely a small spark left of it.

But the lightning that fell from the sky was used as fuel for that little spark, and the lightning sphere was formed anew, it was even a little stronger than before.

“What happened?”

Maria’s voice sounded from behind them. She had an umbrella over her head. She had barely come out of the door when she saw the flash of lightning.

“Aina just ate a lightning. I think we should get her something else to eat.”

Navin teased Aina, still smiling.

“You ok, honey?”

“I… think so.”

“Good.”

Maria covered her daughter with the umbrella, sheltering her from the rain. A quick check showed that Aina didn’t have any wounds, so she relaxed.

“So why did you eat a lightning? There are pancakes in the fridge, you know.”

Maria hugged Aina and teased her too. Navin was laughing even harder now.

“It was an accident, Mom. I was just feeling the rain and then felt the lightning forming. I tried to grab it and then learned that Lightning tastes weird. It’s good... but weird.”

Aina spoke while making strange noises with her mouth, like trying to grasp again the taste of the lightning she had just eaten.

“Elemental forces tend to be an acquired taste. Since Cultivators take them with senses that common mortals don’t have, they appear to have strange and exotic tastes, it’s normal that it tastes weird to you at first.”

Navin commented. He could compare it to the way people tended to dislike alcohol at first but grew accustomed to it with time. This was an especially appropriate comparison since in advanced worlds there were magic liquors made from the forces of nature.

But Aina was a child, so he didn’t mention that.

“Let’s get you both dry and clean so we can eat breakfast, ok?”

Maria looked at the both of them soaked completely, yet they were both smiling happily. She let out a sigh and they all started walking back to the warmth of the house.

“Why were you two standing in the rain like that?”

“I was playing.”

“I was imitating Master.”

Aina and Navin answered at the same time. All three of them laughed.

With such a colorful start of the day, they went to grab something to eat.

“I think I have some magical candies; I’ll give you some after breakfast.”

“Yay! Thank you, Master.”

“Can I get some too, Lord Navin?”

“Of course, Maria.”

Rain was falling.

Water soaked the guardsmen of Klata City as they stood on the walls. After the last night's battle, they were tired and sleepy, but they could not let the walls unguarded.

There hadn’t been much damage, no one had died, but there were lots of minor injuries. The smoke of the undead turned out to be poisonous, but not life-threatening. Those affected by it had nausea and horrible muscular pains if any wound entered in contact with it, but the rain had made it dissipate.

It had rained for hours, and despite the uncomfortable situation, there was no way Captain Selveor could leave the walls right after an assault from the undead.

The city had requested assistance from the Adventurer’s Guild, and it had been provided. There were some scouts and archers at the top of the towers since they had better vision than most, and melee fighters were idling around, since they were the ones that fought less last night they had lots of stamina left.

Mages were all exhausted after using their mana in combat spells over and over, so they had gone to rest as soon as the fight was over.

Sarai had spent hours on the walls before deciding there would be no more dangers, she asked for leave and was authorized.

She walked over the wet streets of the city. She wanted to go see the prisoner they had captured last night.

After Senior Guardsman Cordelia had gone out with a platoon to investigate the direction the undead horde had come, she found that they effectively had come out from the Dungeon, and there was an unconscious man in the middle of the road, surrounded by the footprints of the undead.

The Mages had said he was unconscious due to excessive Mana loss, and that he would wake up the next morning.

Everyone had agreed to wait, given that they also needed to rest. So they had bound him in chains, restrained his Mana, and dropped him in a cell.

The interrogation and trial would be starting soon, and Sarai wasn’t going to miss it.