Chapter 237: Solution.

Chapter 237: Solution.They were basically back to square one, except each had gained their own insights from the conversation. The overlord was surprised that it turned out to be more than entertainment even for her, but then grew curious about whether the kid actually could get out of the pickle.

After giving it a bit of thought, she said, "There are natural beings in the world who are capable of using more than one elemental energy. We call them – old gods. Those are ancient beasts who had lived for many millennia, spending their days in deep hibernation. They possess incredible strength, and if awakened, are capable of terrifying destruction."

"Are you suggesting I gain insight by observing such monster?" Lee asked, "Am I supposed to wake one up first?"

"I’ve no idea." Seris said, "But you need to get an insight from somewhere, don’t you?"

"Can’t I just live like a normal person?" Lee asked, "If I don’t use elemental energy, I’m not in pain."

"You can." She agreed, "But do you want to?"

"Interesting ..." Lee mumbled, to himself, then looked at the old lady, and smiled, "So basically the nature already managed to find a harmony within me by forcing me into situations to acquire more sparks so they balance each other out?"

"You’re digging too deep." Seris skeptically said, "Or keep coming up with excuses for your own moronic behavior. It’s enough. We’ve already talked too much. Time for jokes! You’re up, kid!"

Finally Lee realized why she allowed him to visit her. Apparently no one in this world could come up with anything funny enough to entertain the old lady, and she used the alien as a form of entertainment.

It was cute and upsetting at the same time, but he doubted he could meet another overlord who would ever talk to him, to not speak of giving advice. Even most of elemental lords were haughty and arrogant. One couldn’t expect less form an omnipotent entity.

***



Lee left the mountains ten days later, promising to return with updates on his situation. Obviously, the implication was that he had to bring along an archive of jokes, but that was the least of his worries.

The overlord suggested three different worlds he could go to and look for the so called old gods. She said she heard there were people set on hunting them, and Lee actually believed it was in the literal sense.

After spending some time with her, he verified that the old lady had the otherworldly ability to hear everything, at least in the radius of few thousand miles.

She used to sit and watch the horizon, but then suddenly burst into laughter or become upset. At first Lee thought it was schizophrenia from old age, but then she shared the news from Freeheaven she just heard. They were so nuanced it was hard to make them up, and when he arrived there a couple months later, he verified everything she said was true.

Out of three worlds Overlord Seris suggested, Simone Lamart managed to find coordinates only to Skalara. He himself didn’t have any records at all and had to use what Lucien Duvant left behind. Fortunately, the latter had been quite a busybody and had a thick book filled with information on different worlds.

Lee could swear Simone had hard time holding back and not leave the Droskar Dominion, but he would too if he was an elemental lord, possessing a spatial spark.

Before opening the rift, they agreed that Simone would open another in three months for Lee to come back, and if he wasn’t there – one more after six months. It was on Lee to not miss the day, but that was already more than he could ask for.

He had further crippled himself by swallowing the wind spark, but it allowed him to acquire a personal doorman. This doorman promised to open rifts for Lee no matter where he wished to go, and free of charge at that.

Lee didn’t intend to abuse Simone’s good heart, but Skalara was the world he had to go to. He was confused why overlord Seris called it a disgusting spot, though.

He arrived in late afternoon, and it was quite hot, but also humid. And even the lush greenery around indicated he has landed in a tropical area.

Just like Lunax used to do, Simone opened a rift for him on a top of a hill, allowing Lee to strategically choose the direction to go to, and to his great delight Lee saw a sandy beach at most half a mile away, to his right. It was either an ocean or sea, but Lee didn’t care. He prayed it didn’t have any ferocious beasts or fish so he could go for a swim after all this time.



To the left stretched a lush jungle, made up mostly of bamboo-like trees. It wasn’t clean and pretty like a bamboo grove, but wild and ragged. It was littered with broken trunks, and dense with new trees rising to replace the old ones.

Next to the jungle, tens of half-naked people kept cutting down the trees and hauling them to large bonfires. They clearly didn’t need the wood – they were clearing up the strip of land between the jungle and the beach, where behind a wooden wall lay a village, or rather – a large camp.

’Why doesn’t she like the place? It’s a tropical paradise!’ Lee thought to himself, slowly going down the hill.

He understood that maybe the overlord was used to slightly cooler temperature she had on the mountain slopes, but he wasn’t against this weather at all. He didn’t mind to shed some sweat as long as he could dive in a sea afterwards.

Half way down the hill Lee froze. In the middle of the camp there was a tall pole and on it, slowly swinging in the wind, hung a banner. It wasn’t anything special on its own, except there was a familiar symbol drawn on it – the yin-yang symbol.

’Ok, let’s assume it’s a coincidence.’ Lee said to himself.

Technically, the symbol was universal, and he still remembered that in his first two lives, South Korea had it on its flag. Here, though, quite a few of the people at the bonfires had this symbol tattooed on their bodies – shoulders, chests or forearms. But those weren’t seals like his – they didn’t consist of the small runic symbols.

"Hi! I’m new here!" Lee said, coming up to the few men taking a moment to rest next to the bonfires.

"Then grab an axe and chop, chop!" A visibly tired man in his thirties said.

His shoulder-long hair was drenched in sweat, and he probably couldn’t be any more dirtier. The rest didn’t say anything, but Lee didn’t mind.

"Sure thing!" He said, picked up a hatchet lying nearby, and joined the others at the treeline.



In the next few moments he remembered the old truth – in tropics sitting in the shade of a palm tree was completely different than working hard. He was completely wet after a couple of swings even though the bamboo-like trees weren’t that hard.

"Pace yourself, friend." A guy next to Lee said.

He was probably in late twenties, well built, but the squinted eyes, flat face and pointy ears clearly indicated he was of different race. Lee never met people like him before, but compared to some other fellows in Ashland, this guy was completely normal.

"Thanks!" Lee said, "Do you mind catching me up on the latest? I’m new here!"

"During the break." The man said, but froze, and Lee saw his ears literally twitch.

"Incoming!" He loudly shouted and retreated from the jungle line. One didn’t have to be a genius to realize there was danger, and Lee followed him as did the rest.

From the camp tens of people flooded out, all with bare weapons in hand. Seeing the pointy-eared guy was still holding to his axe, Lee decided to follow his example for now and kept the hatchet.

Before he began to wonder why nothing happened, one of the men next to him cursed, "Why they’re so early today?"

"Who cares!" Another answered, "The sooner they come, the sooner we’ll get over with it!"

Lee was curious who were they, but for a while could only stare at the still jungle. Only the heavy breathing of the men around him disturbed the silence, but the calm didn’t last for too long.

At first there were only distant screeches and something that sounded like rustling of dry leaves. But as the sounds came closer, Lee’s hair stood on end seeing the tree’s in the distance sway.

"Oh, shit!" He cursed, finally realizing why even Seris, being an overlord, hated this place.