Kai looked at Scry and smiled, though his heart twisted with emotion. Before speaking, he activated his core, guiding mana through his blood and into his heart. He triggered his pure heartblood, a technique he had learned upon returning from the dragon’s lair. It seemed Arthraxius had embedded the knowledge into his mind during the teleportation.

  Kai drew his new sword and made a small cut on his fingertip. A single drop of dark, potent blood fell onto the crystalline orb. The orb shimmered, then pulsed with light before merging with Kai. It entered his core region and called to his soul. The silver serpent within him stirred, awakened, and swallowed the now-miniature orb whole.

  In that moment, the orb became part of Kai, part of his soul. It would serve him until death, at which point it would return to the control room and await a new master.

  But there was more.

  Kai could now sense the world inside the silver serpent. It wasn’t large, just a few meters in length and height, but a silver pond covered the ground, and the orb floated gently above it. Through his connection to the orb, Kai could feel his inner world.

  The sooner one unlocked their inner world, the better. With access, a practitioner could use mana from their core to slowly expand it. Once the inner world reached a size of 999 meters, the soul would be strong enough to attempt ascension to Archon or Seraph level.

  As the orb merged deeper with Kai’s soul, new knowledge flooded his mind. He learned that an inner world wasn’t just a spiritual space; it was a natural evolution of the core, accessible only through sufficient soul strength and, sometimes, a stroke of luck. Within it, he could store weapons and merge them with his soul, allowing them to grow alongside him. Even his Soul Sword could be moved inside, accelerating its development.

  He also discovered many hidden rooms and secrets within the Arcanum. Most remained sealed for now, but in time, they would open. Eventually, he could even merge the Arcanum with his inner world, allowing him to carry it within himself, a mobile sanctuary and a vault.

  That was a goal for the future.

  Kai smiled and withdrew from his inner world, returning his attention to Scry.

  “I did it,” he said softly.

  Scry blinked. “Where did you disappear to? I didn’t know that would happen.”

  Kai sighed. “I’ll explain everything. Let’s head to the kitchen first. I want to make dinner for all of us. I’ll tell you everything once we’re together. You can eat now, right? Your body’s recovered?”

  “I should be able to,” Scry replied, grinning. “Just don’t poison me now that I’ve got my body back.”

  Kai laughed. “No promises.”

  Scry laughed too, back to his old self.

  Together, they left the central room.

  ***

  In the kitchen, Kai moved slowly and deliberately, preparing the ingredients he had stored in his bracelet. Tonight was special, their first night back together, first night in two months.

  For once, he wasn’t fighting for survival. He was cooking for his friends.

  Now that he had full access to the Arcanum, he discovered dozens of bedrooms and even a grand dining hall. He unlocked the dining room and called Umbra to join them.

  At the center of the hall stood a massive table, carved from dark wood and surrounded by enough chairs to seat a hundred guests. Kai occupied a small corner of it, setting out dishes with care. He had prepared a variety of meals, roasted meats, herb soups, grilled vegetables, and even poured some of the healing water he had stored in the kitchen. It was refreshing and would help strengthen their mana channels.

  Umbra settled on the floor beside the table, her upper body easily reaching the surface. Without a word, she began eating, focused entirely on the food.

  Kai smiled.

  Scry floated over and sat beside his plate, eyeing the suspicious-looking meat chops. He took a bite and moaned with delight.

  “This is incredible,” he said, his voice muffled by food. “I didn’t expect it to taste this good.”

  He slurped the herb soup, his face now greasy and covered in remnants of the meal.

  Kai laughed out loud, watching the spirit make a mess. Even Umbra gave a short chuckle.

  For Kai, this was one of the most pleasant evenings he’d had in this world.

  After the meal, Kai cleaned the table and helped Scry wash his face at the water fountain. Then they returned to the dining hall and sat beside the fireplace, the warm glow casting soft shadows across the room.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Kai began to speak.

  He told them about the dragon Arthraxius and what he had learned. At first, he focused on the universe, the war, and the dragon’s role. Scry listened intently, lost in thought.

  “Did my old master have anything to do with all this?” Scry asked quietly.

  Kai hesitated. He knew he couldn’t keep the truth from him. He only hoped that, with his memories erased, Scry wouldn’t suffer too much.

  He explained how the dragon and Scry had been saved by a high goddess, and how she had tasked them with training the Chosen. He spoke of the countless disciples who had died, and how Scry’s memories had been sealed again and again because his soul couldn’t bear the pain.

  He told him that Scry’s master had simply lived here, that he hadn’t created the Arcanum or the healing lake. That had all been the goddess’s doing.

  Scry sat in silence, tears dripping down his face.

  He had lived for who knew how long, but his soul had been too weak to carry the weight of loss. The only memories he retained were of his master. Maybe that was for the best.

  He had always felt like something was missing. Sometimes he’d recall fragments, like his hatred of snakes, or a memory of a red cobra. He hadn’t known where those came from. But now he understood. They were echoes of a life he had forgotten.

  Maybe one day he will recover those memories. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to. The time he spent with his master had been enough.

  “Thank you, Kai,” Scry whispered, wiping his tears. “I know that wasn’t easy to tell me.”

  Umbra placed her dark paw gently on Scry’s head. “It’s okay, little tiger. I’ll protect you.”

  Somehow, Umbra no longer saw him as an annoying know-it-all. He felt more like a child she wanted to care for.

  “Don’t pity me now,” Scry sniffled. “I’m still smarter than you.”

  Umbra’s paw clenched around his head.

  “Ow, ow, ow! Stop it, you crazy brute! You’re smart too, okay? Happy now?” Scry yelped.

  Kai laughed, his heart lightened. He truly cared about the two of them. Somehow, during his time in Sacra, they had become his new family.

  ***

  They watched the fire burn slowly, its flames flickering gently as fire mana danced around the glowing embers. Umbra fell asleep curled up nearby, her breathing steady and calm, while Scry and Kai sat talking quietly.

  “Scry,” Kai began, his voice serious, “I know you want to be free of this curse. Now that I can control Arcanum, Arthraxius gave me a few options to help set you free. The first is to release you, allowing you to return to the Spirit Realm and live among the spirits once more. The second is to form a contract with me and travel alongside me through the world. But I must warn you, this path could be dangerous.”

  He looked at Scry, waiting.

  Scry’s eyes shimmered with emotion. “Ever since my master died, I’ve dreamed of exploring Sacra and visiting the places he once spoke of. If you’ll have me, I’d like to join you on your journey.”

  He paused, then added with a soft smile, “I won’t be able to fight directly alongside you and Umbra, but through our contract, you’ll gain access to the knowledge I’ve gathered over the years. As our bond deepens, I may also be able to help you cast spells more easily. I specialize in fire mana, but as a spirit, I can assist with other types of magic as well.”

  “Let’s do it right now!” Scry jumped up, eyes gleaming with excitement, unwilling to waste another second.

  Kai smiled. “Alright. Just tell me what I need to do.”

  “Activate your mana and pour it into this type of glyph,” Scry said, sending a vivid image directly into Kai’s mind.

  Kai closed his eyes and focused. Mana surged through his body, and his magic circle appeared behind him. Two serpents biting their tails spun slowly as the glyph materialized from thin air, glowing with a soft, gentle light. Scry summoned a matching glyph, and as the two symbols hovered in the air, they merged briefly, then separated. Kai’s glyph floated into Scry, and Scry’s into Kai.

  The glyphs fused with their souls.

  Scry’s form shimmered and grew more tangible. His wings doubled in size, his horn elongated, and his presence felt more real, more alive. Mana flowed freely from Kai’s circle into Scry, strengthening him. He felt like a true spirit now, no longer bound by the limitations of his curse.

  Kai, in turn, felt a rush of knowledge flood his mind, secrets hidden deep within the jungle, insights into the nature of spirits, and even a simple spell: Ethereal Bindings. By channeling mana from the Spirit Realm, now accessible through Scry, Kai could momentarily bind an enemy’s soul, preventing them from escaping or acting for a few precious seconds.

  Kai smiled. This would be useful. And as he and Scry grew stronger together, he would be able to learn even more spells. Unlike elemental magic of the corporeal realm, spirit magic dealt with souls, essence, and the unseen forces that shaped Sacra.

  Umbra stirred from the chatter and the surge of magical energy, her dark eyes blinking open for a moment. But seeing that everything was calm, she nestled back into her curled position and drifted off again.

  Meanwhile, Kai and Scry began planning his training in earnest. The goal was clear: prepare Kai for the test that would allow him to leave the jungle.

  They decided to nurture Kai’s Thunder Seed by absorbing various forms of lightning scattered throughout Beastworld's wilderness. Alongside that, he would learn basic spells and enhancements, small but potent tricks to keep up his sleeve in dangerous situations. He’d also continue refining his current skills, sharpening his blade techniques as much as possible, even without a mentor.

  Scry was especially eager to explore the potential of Kai’s unique magic circle. Unlike the standardized circles used by modern mages, Kai’s had been formed through an ancient and occult process, one that defied conventional magical theory.

  After they were done, Kai woke Umbra and led them back to the bedroom to sleep and rest for the night.

  Scry relished the feeling of the soft bed beneath him, a rare comfort for a spirit. Umbra, content and undisturbed, curled up on her favorite couch, her breathing slow and steady.

  Kai stepped into the bath in the adjacent room, letting the warm water envelop him. Above, moonlight and starlight poured through the transparent ceiling, casting a silvery glow across the surface of the water.

  He leaned back, eyes half-closed, and let his thoughts drift.

  His journey so far had been overwhelming. So much had happened.

  He wasn’t sure how he had survived it all, or how he had held onto his sanity. But one thing was certain: he was no longer the same person who had entered the jungle.

  Something inside him had changed.

  He felt more grounded now, more in control. He had grown, quickly, painfully, but undeniably. The jungle had tested him, shaped him, and in many ways, awakened something deeper within.

  As the water washed over him, it cleansed more than just his body; it soothed his mind. He thought of his parents, of the world he now lived in, and of the path that lay ahead.

  Soon, he would leave this jungle. His true journey would begin.

  He would uncover the mysteries of Sacra, face whatever awaited him, and, if fate allowed, live long enough to return home.