“Ivis, do you mind telling me why Adriel is painting?”

Sett felt quite stumped viewing the scene of Adriel painting a scenery with a look of comfort. Hearing the words that Ivis had said earlier, he had quite honestly expected to find the former grandmaster in utmost agony and with sweat dripping from his forehead. Yet, the scene was almost exactly the opposite. How could he not be confused?

“My apologies, young Sett. This fox is quite unused to the uninitiated.” The fox ruefully shook his head, realising that he had spooked Sett. “My master is indeed in a life and death struggle, only that it is not an immediate death that he will face should he fail. Instead, his spiritual body will reach its tipping point and continue to deteriorate to a point that it can no longer be saved.”

“But why is he painting?”

“Sadly, that is because of our financial situation. The objects and artefacts that can sustain or heal the spiritual body are few and far between. Thus, they are naturally outrageously expensive. In the time when my master held the position of Grandmaster, he could easily afford more luxurious items to sustain his failing spiritual body, but now that our money is running dry, we have to resort to more diluted and inefficient items.”

“Ahh…” Sett finally understood the peculiarity of the situation from Ivis’s words. “The paint is one the items that can mend his spiritual body, right?”

“Indeed. We managed to procure this paint from a travelling artist, who did not realise the values of the items. In times past, we have made use of many such items. One time we acquired tea leaves that came from a plant connected to the dream attribute. Another time we acquired a casket of wine that had been fermenting in a dream realm. We even managed to contract a rune maker to construct a rune that allowed the accumulation of the dream element over time. Sadly, all those resources have long since run out.”

Ivis sighed deeply and accidentally let out a low whimper. It was not without reason. They really were facing the end. All the resources that they had acquired over the years had merely been a temporary measure and in the end, they exceeded their lifespan.

“What about you? Your spiritual body was wounded as well, perhaps even worse than Adriel’s was.”

While they waited for Adriel to finish his painting, Sett asked Ivis about his own situation. After all, Adriel was not the only person whose spiritual body had been wounded.

“There is no need to worry. As you should be aware, I am of the light element and have a connection to the dream attribute as well. Although I cannot better my situation or bring myself to new heights, I am more than capable of sustaining myself. That said, should my master fail now, I will join him in death’s embrace sooner rather than later…”

Sett wanted to refute Ivis. To say that he had much to live for. Yet, he found himself unable to do so. Ivis and Adriel shared a bond that not even parents or wedded partners would share. They were lifelong companions and Adriel had saved Ivis. It was no wonder that Ivis would not want to live without Adriel.

At the very least, Sett felt that it would be distasteful to try and dissuade him. It was woefully unneeded, as well. He did, after all, intend to save Adriel.

Time passed as the observing pair grew more and more anxious. It was truly discouraging for the two to be able to look upon the man, who could very well be facing death, but be unable to do anything about it.

Soon, Sett began to observe the movements of Adriel in detail. In the years past, he had seen many people paint. Whether it had been in school or on the streets, they all had varying degrees of success. Adriel, however, was on an entirely different level. If he claimed he was a professional artist, no mortal painter on Gliese Prime would dare to claim that they were as well.

The difference in skill was simply too staggering. The way that Adriel moved the brush across the canvas would make any artist that Sett had seen in his life look like a child picking up a paintbrush for the first time.

Even from the side, Sett could see that Adriel’s skills were not only superficial but those of a real master. Every move was well planned, and he clearly had a direction that he wished to move towards. Though Sett could not yet see the surface, he was certain that whatever was being painted would be superb.

Even standing roughly ten meters away from the artist, the faint sounds of the brush upon the canvas slowly lulled Sett into a pleasant trance, only to catch himself at the last moment before he fell into sleep. Could this be the power that was contained within the paint? The reason why they had resorted to using painting supplies to soothe his spiritual body? If so, it was frighteningly powerful.

Many more minutes passed and finally, Adriel set aside his paintbrushes and admired his work.

“Master…” Ivis slowly approached his master with fear flickering in his eyes. “Was it a success?”

It was a frightening question to have to ask. On the surface, it was completely impossible to notice anything different about the former grandmaster. In the moment before he answered, only he knew whether or not he would survive. In the many years that they had been together, Ivis had undoubtedly asked the questions many more times, each time growing more and more afraid of the answer.

“I did indeed, my old friend.” Adriel turned around with a slight smile on his face and lightly caressed the approaching fox, who in turn let out a long sigh. “This painting should have nourished my spiritual body enough for it to last for a couple more months. If fate is on our side, the master physician should have reached our abode by then.”

“Mmm… Master.” Ivis awkwardly hummed, uncertain how he should say his next words. “A visitor arrived when you were painting; he claims that he can cure us…”

When the fox uttered the words, it was clear for all to hear that he found the idea too insane, as well.

“A visitor, you say?” The old master straight-up ignored that latter part of the sentence. “It has been a while since we last had any visitors. Could it be that one of my old friends decided to finally visit their dying pal?

Adriel lightly laughed with a burst of depreciating laughter and turned to greet his visitor.

With Adriel finally turning to face him, Set could regard Adriel in his full glory, at last. The sight of Adriel was a special one, to say the least. His physical age did not seem to exceed a day over thirty. In fact, he seemed to be the pinnacle of health. His muscles were rippling beneath his skin and his skin was a healthy colour. His face, as well, seemed to be sculpted from rocks and his hair was full of volume. From his looks alone, people might think of him as a movie star. He did not at all look like someone who could die within the next month.

Yet, his demeanour did not at all match that which one would expect from a superstar. Rather, he was listless. He was completely devoid of energy. His eyes were dull and grey, not at all exuding the brilliant gleam that Sett had expected. Instead of a man in his prime, he more so resembled one in his latter years, only waiting for death.

His body was exceedingly powerful, but his spirit and mind could simply not keep up with it. This was what it meant to be wounded in the spiritual body. It was a most frightful thing and something Sett did not even wish upon his most dreadful of enemies.

While Sett was gazing at and analysing Adriel, the latter was doing exactly the same to him.

“Interesting. I thought that perhaps it was the new Grandmaster that had finally seen fit to visit the grand elder of his order, but in the end, it was a mere child that dared to make and finish the journey instead. Quite peculiar.”

Adriel spoke words that Sett was not quite sure whether they were compliments or insults.

“Come closer, child.” Adriel beckoned Sett to close the distance between the two, making him stand before the scenery he had just painted. “Tell me. What do you see…?”

Without any explanation or reasoning, Adriel asked Sett to speak his mind about the painting. Sett was about to ask the former about the whys but found himself entranced by the painting before he could do so.

It was simply too marvellous. Having seen Adriel paint the painting from far away, Sett held no doubt that the painting would be beautiful but seeing it up close was mesmerising. It was exceptionally well done. It would not even be an exaggeration to call it a masterpiece that artists from generations past would envy.

The painting, in of itself, was simple. Its inspiration was the nearby garden that the courtyard was overlooking, and the focus was a singular plant. Although the content of the picture was extraordinarily simple, it did not diminish the value of the painting. Rather, the focus on one subject was what made it pop. The small plant had been captured with such great clarity and detail that it almost looked like you could reach out and caress it. It was as if a small little world existed just beyond the canvass. It was shocking just how real it looked.

As for the meaning behind the painting, Sett could only imagine one history behind it. The plant was solitary. The field that surrounded it was completely devoid of life, completely filled with the decomposing remains of other plants. Yet, this one plant continued to soldier on despite the harshness of life. It was a lone fighter against the whole world. It was likely that Adriel had painted this to reflect his own situation, but Sett could also see himself in that plant.

It was a straightforward story, but it provoked many thoughts in one’s mind. It was beautiful in its simplicity.

If it had been only that, it would have been enough to land it in the most glamorous art museums on Gliese Prime or even Earth, but it did not end there. Rather, it was what existed beneath the surface. Beneath the many layers of paint.

This was no ordinary painting. It was painted by a person who was at the very least at the fourth tier of ascendancy and the paint that had been used had been of extraordinary origin as well. Thus, the very nature of the painting had been altered.

Sett gazed upon the painting with his mind’s eye, allowing him to see every subtle movement of essence. It was overwhelming. If he felt that he could reach into the painting before, it now felt as if the painting were alive. The leaves on the plant could faintly be seen to be rustled by a wind that did not seem to exist.

It did not end there. Not only did his mind’s eye observe the essence and the various elements that accompanied it that had been used in the painting, but it also revealed the attribute that was hidden beneath them. Naturally, it was the dream attribute. He was not surprised to find it, having been told by Ivis that the paint contained it, but he was surprised by its effect. Simply gazing upon it made his mind feel as if it was on a layer of fluffy pillows, completely at ease.

Sett had never been one to get emotional when looking at paintings, but today was different. Turning to Adriel, who was still patiently waiting for his answer, he gave him a piece of his mind. He let him know just what he thought of the painting. All the intricacies and details as well as the feelings that had welled up in him. Every single thought was laid bare before the painter with nothing left to the imagination.