Ace and Qiong Qi soon found themselves standing before a towering gate.
"Oh well… looks like I'm here again," Ace muttered, his tone felt more resigned than being surprised.
Qiong Qi flew a slow, lazy circle above him before landing neatly on his shoulder.
[Human, what exactly are we doing here?] the beast asked, its voice dry with a mild disdain.
"Patience my guy… patience," Ace replied calmly. "Master's got work to do."
Qiong Qi leapt down with a snort.
[Human, I have yet to acknowledge you as my master. Stop clinging to your delusional grandeur.]
"Right, right…" Ace mumbled, brushing the comment aside.
Then, he turned to face the massive gate and said with theatrical flair, "Open sesame."
With a deep groan, the gates slowly creaked open, revealing a misty path ahead.
Qiong Qi fluttered back to his perch on Ace's shoulder, its nose twitching.
[Human, I smell food. Is this your grand plan? To stuff me full and hope that in the process I end up becoming your soul bond?]
