After Rosha’s question if there was more to talk about, Courtney turns to Jason. “Don’t think I forgot about how you said that god’s name. You clearly know something about it. I don’t want to brag, but I know more about NeoRealm than probably 99% of our generation. And of all that knowledge? Never once have I heard of this.”

Jason shrugs, “Can we forget it for at least a little while?”

Rosha laughs while Courtney gives him the stink eye. Jason just sighs. He had wanted to keep irl cultivation out of it, but Courtney was definitely not going to let things go. Gears click by in his head as he figures out what to say. Then an idea hits him.

“I won’t reveal my sources, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.” Jason pauses to gauge how they take it. The statement was completely true, no way was Courtney going to believe the old god told me line. Even with NeoRealm having actual gods running around, they don’t exactly talk to people all that much.

Courtney still looks suspicious of him so Jason continues, “If I had to call it something I would refer to it as the language of intent. Though language isn’t quite right. A language would have defined words. I suspect that a god wouldn’t even need to use words. Basically, the language is a way to get your actual intent to someone without going through all the filters people normally have between them when communicating.”

“An example of what I mean by this is the word cat. I say it and what I am thinking of when I say it is likely completely different from what you think of. For me, I think of a black cat a local couple owned. Maybe you instead thought of a fat orange and white cat. Though even with those additional modifiers to the words don’t make us think of the same cat.”

“If a god wanted to tell you about a cat, they just say the word and the intent behind it would bypass the messy steps of translating it into thought. You don’t think of a fat orange and white cat or a black cat. Instead, you picture the grey cat they are talking about. Of course, this is mostly a bunch of guesses on my part. The only reason I can even attempt to say Starlight’s name is because I had heard it before and my unique Energy setup.”

Courtney shakes her head, “I don’t doubt your explanation, just your source. Sigh, I guess you can take the time you need, but your reason better be a good one.”

Jason shrugs, “I need actual proof first. If I told you right now you wouldn’t be able to confirm what I tell you.”

Courtney is about to say more but Rosha interrupts, “Enough! Courtney, I know you don’t trust him still. That’s your job, but we are a team. I know James spooked you, but that doesn’t mean everyone I met in Shinefish is a traitor.”

Courtney frowns, “I don’t think that. You just went and started in a town without talking to me!”

At this point, Jason notices the change in the air and backs out of the area of silence.

Back in the bubble, Rosha puts her hands on her hips. “If I had told you where I was going to start, half the locals would be paid off by my parents! I would have just walked through the starter town without any difficulties. Even the players would have been planted or being paid to not get close to me. Any chance of gaining a team would have been tainted. Even if I found someone who claims to not be connected to my family, how could I believe them?”

Courtney throws her hands outward, “And you think he will be any better once he learns who your family is? At least if we had inspected the village first you wouldn’t have come into contact with that cult brat. You even ended up traveling alone with him!”

Rosha facepalms, “I can’t be sheltered forever! My entire life has been handled with silk gloves. If it wasn’t for the fact that mom took me outside of that comfort zone I would be like one of those young masters in the stories. You know, the ones that get destroyed by the story’s main character for being such clueless antagonists!”

“The worst part is that basically all the kids I hung out with before I figured it out? They fit that mold completely! All the friends I hung out with are insufferable now. I don’t have friends now because I never had friends. Those scum were just bootlicking minions either trying to suck up to my family or waiting to take advantage of the smallest mistake I might make.”

Courtney waves her hands at Rosha, “You’re still weak here! After you build up some power, you can go out and explore. So what if your family eases the way?”

Rosha scoffs at this. “I played SciFi game after SciFi game. Every time I would show up and the starting town practically worshiped the ground I walked on. By the time I get to the point that I can travel the galaxy, it was too late. I move in a direction and a golden road would unfurl before me! Every step I took was paved well before I took it. This was in literal space! I could go in any direction and yet he still managed to remove any challenge.”

“It was only once I managed to get into a game without him knowing that I had any real fun. Stomping on others when they can’t or won’t fight back is boring. From that I can even understand why my former friends ended up so twisted. If everything you do has no push back a person is going to keep reaching, keep pushing.”

“Eventually you hit an iron plate. So many of those young masters I knew ended up hitting that plate, and a rare few even learned a lesson from it. I wouldn’t call them good people now but I could stand talking to them. For me, especially in the small space games I played? There would have been no iron plate. Some of the smaller ones I half suspect he even bought and had the companies change the game to serve me!”

“With all that in mind I couldn’t let you or anyone else know where I would start.”