After they had eaten and drunk to their considerable content, a feat largely attributable to Marcus's appetite and Ethan's surprising Four Arms-fueled capacity, Seraphina, with a sudden glint in her eye, suggested they go shopping. Ethan, outnumbered and outmaneuvered, found he couldn't reasonably refuse and thus had to tag along, resigned to an afternoon of Browse.
On the way, laden with a few bags (mostly Seraphina's), Ethan, ever curious about the mechanics of this new world, asked, "Say, Seraphina, since our Earth only really started buzzing with spiritual qi after those spatial rifts from the beast world opened up, shouldn't the actual concentration of spiritual qi over there, in their world, be much, much higher than ours? Logically speaking?"
Seraphina, deftly navigating a crowded sidewalk, replied thoughtfully, "Not necessarily, Ethan. The spatial rifts were more of a trigger, a catalyst, than the sole source. Actually, our Earth itself has always possessed latent spiritual qi; it was just in a dormant, inactive state before. After the initial influx of spiritual qi from the rifts poured into Earth, it acted like a spark, stimulating Earth's own vast reserves of spiritual qi to awaken and surge forth. Otherwise, why would the historical texts call it an 'Aura Resurgence' rather than an 'Aura Importation'? Besides," she added with a practical frown, "if it were really as you said, and the spiritual qi on the beast world side was that much stronger and denser, how could we humans possibly fight against them? Their weakest soldiers would be powerhouses."
Ethan nodded slowly. "That makes sense too. It's just… you people from the big, established families just seem to know so much more about these things than we do." He hadn't even finished his sentence when both Marcus and Seraphina shot him equally exasperated, almost pitying, looks.
"What? What's wrong?" Ethan asked, genuinely confused.
Marcus sighed dramatically. "Just how much do you actively hate studying, man? All this basic stuff is right there in the standard history textbooks. Chapter Three, I think."
Ethan blinked. "Huh, is it really?"
Seraphina confirmed with a patient smile, "Yes, Ethan, yes, it is. It's covered extensively in the 'History of the Aura Resurgence' unit. You must have slept through those classes."
Ethan coughed awkwardly. "..." Right. History. My old nemesis.
Seraphina, sensing his discomfort, smoothly changed the subject. "Alright, enough ancient history. What are your grand plans for the rest of the summer vacation, you two?"
Marcus shrugged, a typical teenage gesture. "What else can there be? Cultivation, cultivation, and more cultivation, of course. Gotta get stronger."
Ethan nodded in agreement. "I also plan to focus entirely on cultivation. I've got a lot of catching up to do, and some new… avenues to explore."
Seraphina looked at them, a faint frown creasing her brow. "I know cultivation is important, obviously. But just cultivating strictly by the book, sitting around meditating and absorbing ambient aura, it's just too slow, isn't it? Don't you guys find it agonizingly slow?"
"Don't think so," came the simultaneous, slightly bewildered reply from both Ethan and Marcus.
After all, the summer vacation had only been officially underway for about six days. In that short time, Ethan had already rocketed to Rank One, Level Three, a feat he was quietly proud of, and Marcus, with his Earth-rank talent, had also reached the significant milestone of Rank One, Level Four. This, however, in Seraphina Linley's evidently more ambitious eyes, was apparently very, very slow.
Seraphina sighed again, shaking her head with a tone of exasperation that reminded Ethan vividly of a disappointed parent chiding underachieving children. "Are you two actually satisfied with this pace? Do you have any idea what level Iris Lan, from the number one Lan family, has reached by now?"
Ethan scoffed good-naturedly. "How would a small fry like me possibly know that? I don't exactly move in those exalted circles."
Marcus added, "I've been cooped up cultivating at home pretty much all this time, haven't really paid attention to outside gossip or matters. So, nope, I don't know either."
Seraphina leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Let me tell you, then. In just these six short days of vacation, Iris Lan has already advanced to Rank One, Level Six. She's averaging one new level per day."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Holy crap! Now that girl is the real hacker! That's an insane progression speed!"
Marcus looked equally stunned. "This is… this is too exaggerated! Level Six already? How is that even possible?"
Seraphina nodded grimly. "It's not exaggerated in the slightest. For cultivation, especially in the early stages, talent and resources are both critically, equally important. Iris Lan not only possesses heaven-defying talent, but her family also has unparalleled access to resources."
Ethan frowned. "But the readily available resources for Rank One psionicists are generally quite limited in scope, right? Potions, basic beast meat… You two are from well-established second-tier families. Your family foundations are certainly no match for a titan like the Lan family, but you should still be able to afford most of the common resources needed for Rank One. And Marcus, you're also an Earth-rank talent, same as her; logically speaking, your progress shouldn't be that much worse than hers, even with a resource gap."
Seraphina conceded the point with a nod. "That's indeed true for low-level, commonly available resources. If you have enough money, you can generally get as much of that stuff as you want. But for high-level, truly impactful resources, like specific types of beast crystal cores, especially those with embedded skills, money alone often isn't enough; you also need significant connections, influence, and sometimes, sheer luck. Let me ask you this, Ethan: if there's a rare item you're selling, and two people come to buy it – one person who barely scraped enough money together after months of saving, and another person who is locally wealthy, influential, and a pillar of the community. The first person will thank you profusely, a one-time transaction. The second person, however, could become a valuable, long-term patron of your business, bringing repeat custom and referrals. Which one would you prioritize selling to?"
Ethan thought for a moment. "The second one, of course. Business sense dictates it."
Seraphina snapped her fingers. "So, you see. Although our families have money, it doesn't automatically mean we can buy everything we need or want, especially when it comes to rare cultivation aids. Things like high-grade crystal cores, or those with specific beneficial skills, the sellers would often prioritize established relationships or families with greater influence. They would definitely not sell to a first-tier family like the Lans if it meant potentially upsetting them by selling to a rival, and our second-tier families basically have very limited access to that exclusive upper tier of the market. Furthermore," she continued, her voice tinged with frustration, "the actual production rate of these high-grade items is extremely low, and the available quantity is minuscule. Even if our families have their own dedicated hunting teams that venture into the wilds, they might only be able to successfully hunt and retrieve five or six useful crystal cores a month, if they're lucky. And from that meager haul, Marcus and I only managed to get one suitable core each when we were breaking through to Level Four. It's a constant struggle."
Ethan whistled softly. "So there are that many twists and turns, that much politicking involved even in just getting stronger. Indeed, my previous poverty certainly limited my imagination about these things."
Seraphina's expression grew even more serious. "It's more than just that, Ethan. The 'number one family' status isn't just a title; it's a powerful symbol, a brand. People hear that title, the Lan family, and their first instinct, their primary thought, is to try and do business with them, to curry favor. This title alone has brought immense, almost unimaginable wealth and influence to their family over generations. And consider this: our Yan City hasn't produced an Earth-rank talent for nearly fifty years. One could say that at this critical juncture, anyone who emerges with such potential could significantly influence the future landscape, the power balance, of the entire city. Originally, the Lan family produced Iris, an Earth-rank talent, and their future was set to prosper even further, their dominance solidified. But now, the Vance family, Marcus's family, has also produced an Earth-rank talent in him. To prevent the Vance family from potentially shaking their ruling position in the future, the Lan family will almost certainly try to suppress them, subtly or overtly. Under these circumstances, it will be even harder for families like ours to buy precious, high-end resources externally, as suppliers might be wary of offending the Lans."
Marcus, who had been listening with a growing frown, finally spoke up. "The noble circles and their power games are truly chaotic. Too much drama. Good thing I really don't care about all those complicated political things."
Seraphina gave him a wry look. "You might not care, Marcus, but these things directly affect us. So, because of these special circumstances and political pressures, our families can't realistically provide us with that many precious, game-changing resources, not at the rate we need them to truly compete. If we want to keep pace, if we want to forge our own destinies, we'll have to rely on ourselves to fight for them."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "How do we fight for them, exactly? Are you suggesting… robbery?"
A strange, almost predatory light gleamed in Seraphina's eyes. "Hmm... you're not entirely wrong with what you said, Ethan, but we're not robbing those people; we're robbing monstrous beasts."
Marcus stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait a minute! Seraphina, are you saying… you mean, you want us to become… Beast Hunters?!"
Seraphina's smile was dazzling, almost feral. "That's right. Become registered Beast Hunters. Go out into the wild, beyond the city walls, to hunt monstrous beasts, gather valuable materials and crystal cores from their carcasses, and then go to the black market – or even official channels, if the goods are clean – to exchange them for the specific cultivation resources we need. In the process, we can also accumulate invaluable actual combat experience, and surviving life-and-death encounters will also temper our willpower, forge our spirits. This," she declared, her eyes sparkling with an unprecedented, almost manic excitement, "is an act that achieves three crucial objectives with one bold stroke!"
Ethan and Marcus stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. They had never, ever expected that their companion of so many years, Seraphina Linley, who usually seemed so quiet, demure, and studiously composed, actually had such a fiercely adventurous, almost reckless, side to her.
Marcus was the first to find his voice, a note of caution in it. "But, Seraphina… if we go out into the wild with our current strength, just Rank One, wouldn't Mom and Dad… I mean, our parents, absolutely disagree? They'd lock us in our rooms!"
Seraphina's confident smile didn't waver. "Hehe, that's the beauty of it. We'll just sneak out quietly. When the time comes, we'll just tell our families we're going to a friend's place to stay for a week or so, to cultivate together in a focused training camp. We'll come back quickly, before they get too suspicious, and we won't be discovered."
Ethan looked at Marcus, then back at Seraphina, a thrill of trepidation and excitement coursing through him. "So we're… we're actually considering this? Going out there?"
Marcus echoed, his eyes wide, "Go… ing? Into the wild?"
Seraphina's gaze was resolute, her chin set. "Going!"
Ethan and Marcus looked at each other again, a silent, charged communication passing between them. Then, almost in unison, they turned back to Seraphina, a shared, reckless grin spreading across their faces.
"Lets Go!"
After the trio had enthusiastically, if somewhat nervously, discussed the necessary supplies and basic plans for their clandestine expedition, they each went back to their respective homes. Their first task was to carefully explain the situation to their parents (the fabricated cover story, that is) and then to prepare their own personal equipment for the journey.
Later that evening, they met up again briefly to finalize things.
Ethan brought up a concern. "Food, basic life-saving equipment, first-aid kits, those two are fine, we can all manage that. But the third thing, protective gear, is a bit troublesome. We can't always be relying on your Bedrock Armor, Seraphina, especially if we're trying to be discreet or need to conserve your energy."
Seraphina waved a dismissive hand. "Relax, Ethan. Our families have established industries and suppliers for these things. I'll cover your share of the basic protective gear."
Ethan felt a bit awkward. "That's… that's not very good of me, Seraphina. One decent set of psionic-resistant combat equipment can be very expensive."
Seraphina smiled. "What's wrong with that? This whole daring proposal came from me in the first place; it's only right that I should be more responsible for outfitting the team. Besides," she added, with a wink, "you'll be our main damage dealer then, our primary offensive strength. We need to keep you in one piece."
Ethan blinked. "Am I still considered the main force, even with Marcus's Earth-rank strength?"
Marcus clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "Of course, man! Think about it! For violent, ranged output and area control, we use your Heatblast; for heavy-duty close combat and sheer brawn, there's your Four Arms; and if we really can't win a fight and need to make a quick exit, we'll have to rely on your XLR8 to get us all out of there. You're like a one-man army!"
Ethan grinned, feeling a surge of confidence. "Oh, so I'm that important, huh?"
Marcus's expression suddenly turned serious, a rare occurrence. He looked Ethan straight in the eye. "Ethan, you don't always study well, so it's okay if you don't know all the common sense stuff about societal dangers. But listen to me carefully. Actually, the ability you awakened, that Omnitrix, is currently the strongest, most versatile, and potentially most dangerous power among us, by a long shot. And because of that, it's also incredibly practical for what we're planning. But let me tell you, from this moment on, you must never carelessly mention the full extent of this ability, especially its multiple transformation aspect, to any outsiders. It would be best if you could even actively downplay it, make it seem less remarkable if anyone asks. If the enemies of our Huaxia Nation, or worse, certain other factions, find out about a power like yours… you'll be in extreme danger. The main thing is, Ethan, this world, for all its wonders, inevitably has some real… deviants in it."
Ethan had never heard such a grave, intense tone from Marcus before. It sent a slight shiver down his spine.
"Deviants?"
Marcus nodded, his gaze dark. "That's right. You know about the general concept of evil cults, right?"
Ethan frowned. "Understood. Basically, a bunch of anti-human scoundrels, nutjobs who worship dark powers or something."
Marcus snapped his fingers. "Exactly. Since the Aura Resurgence, not everyone has been dedicated to resisting the monstrous beast invasion and protecting humanity like us, like our families. There are also some people who, for various twisted reasons – power, ideology, sheer madness – betrayed humanity and effectively sided with the monstrous beasts. These people have formed their own clandestine organizations, which we collectively call evil cults. There are many such cults, large and small, lurking in the shadows. The biggest, most notorious one is called the Evolution Cult."
He paused, letting the name sink in. "Their main tenet, their core belief, is that humans are inherently flawed, low-level creatures, while monstrous beasts represent a higher, more perfect form of existence. Their entire lives, their every action, are dedicated to pursuing what they call 'evolution' – transforming themselves into the likeness of monstrous beasts. Doesn't that sound rather disturbingly similar to some types of beastification abilities?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "But the two are completely different in principle. No matter how a psionic beastification ability changes a person's form, its source, its core essence, is still fundamentally human. However, the Evolution Cult's doctrine, from what you're implying, is to completely, irrevocably transform a person into a monstrous beast, body and soul. They can no longer be accurately called human at that point; they should be called… half-beasts, or something worse."
"Such things, such people, actually exist in the world, Ethan," Marcus said grimly.
Seraphina, who had been listening quietly, added, "Yes. And to avoid causing widespread panic or societal instability, the government usually tries to conceal such matters from the general public, or at least downplay their significance and threat level. It's mostly because our families are who they are, with access to certain restricted information channels, that we can learn more about these darker realities. You absolutely mustn't spread this information around indiscriminately."
Marcus nodded in agreement. "Relax, Seraphina, don't you know me well enough by now? My lips are sealed." He then looked back at Ethan. "The point is, your ability to change forms so drastically could be misinterpreted by them, or even coveted. You'd be a prime target."
Just then, Seraphina, who had been on her phone, hung up. "Alright, good news. I've already told my family's supply manager. The sets of basic protective combat equipment will be delivered to a discreet drop-off point in a little while."
Ethan blinked. "Delivered? From your family's own shop, just like that?"
Seraphina nodded. "That's right."
Ethan looked skeptical. "And they're just… giving it to us, no questions asked?"
Seraphina confirmed again. "That's right."
A sudden thought struck Ethan. "Wait a minute. Aren't you worried that if your parents happen to see the order, or you picking it up, they'll ask you about it? Ask why you suddenly need three sets of combat gear?"
Seraphina paused, her confident facade faltering for a moment. "Um..."
Ethan sighed. "You really didn't think this part through completely, did you, Seraphina!"
Seraphina flushed slightly. "Hmph, well, my parents manage countless business affairs every single day; they probably don't have time to look at every minor equipment requisition for psionic gear."
Marcus interjected, "But what if this kind of gear needs specific authorization, or if you need to buy this stuff using your personal allowance, which they might track?"
Ethan added, "This could unravel our whole plan before it even starts…"
Seraphina lowered her head, biting her lip as she thought for a few minutes. Then, she suddenly gritted her teeth and stamped her foot with surprising force. "Never mind! Worst case, we'll just have to be extremely quick and discreet about acquiring it. Once we're out of the city and into the wilds, the sky's high and the earth is wide for birds to fly freely! Even if we're discovered then, when we get back, and get punished, at least we'll have gone out once! We'll have done something!" When she said this, there was a fiery, defiant air about her, her eyes shining with a determined light, as if she were marching off to her own glorious execution.
Ethan exchanged a bewildered glance with Marcus. He muttered under his breath, "I always remembered she's supposed to be the prim and proper type, the one who is very obedient to her parents, a model daughter."
Marcus nodded, equally perplexed. "Exactly. She can totally be measured by the gold standard of an obedient, well-behaved young lady."
Ethan leaned closer to Marcus. "Has she… has she been possessed by some kind of thrill-seeking spirit?"
Marcus whispered back, "Shouldn't be… I think. Maybe it's just too much repressed adventure finally bubbling to the surface?"
Seraphina, overhearing their hushed conference, whirled around, hands on her hips. "What are you two muttering about over there, whispering secrets like a pair of gossiping old women? Enough talk! Let's go back first. Go home, prepare well for our beast hunt. Tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn, we set off!"
Shiny stones motivates me to throw CHAPTERS so throw them on these fic