Chapter 464: Halfie

Stella led Nymeria through the desolation portal.

Having never gone through a portal, Nymeria wasn't sure if the sulphuric smell of reality being torn apart was normal. It was also surprising how short the trip through it was. From the outside, it looked more like a tunnel, but within a single step, she passed through, and her ears popped from the pressure change.

She glanced around. Encircling her was a ring of strange trees with translucent trunks and leaves made of condensed starlight, their branches swaying as if moved by an invisible wind. Below her feet, growing in bundles from the black stone, were flowers that matched the tree's ethereal appearance. They were almost entirely translucent, as if they were on the brink of passing into another dimension, but they hadn't made the final leap. The patter of rain made her look up. Whatever place Stella had brought her to was surrounded by a dome of reality tinted white, and it reminded her of the white flames that had surrounded Stella when she teleported to her side earlier.

Is this her cultivation area? I was under the impression most humans picked caves to meditate in as they are safer, but this seems to be outside... wait. Nymeria narrowed her eyes and peered past the shield. She hadn't noticed it at first because it was early in the morning and before sunrise, but an immense shadow was blocking out the stars. Is that a tree?

It was so massive that she hadn't realized what she was looking at at first. But now, taking it all in, she saw that half the sky was veiled by a vast canopy of rustling red leaves, swaying in the storm. Only thin streaks of moonlight pierced through, tracing the outlines of the tree's black bark. She couldn't see its roots as they weren't currently on the ground, but on a mountain or a floating island?

"He's pretty tall, isn't he?"

Nymeria glanced over her shoulder to see Stella grinning.

"Yeah... is that the great spirit tree?" She asked.

Stella nodded, "Yeah, that's my father—Ashlock."

"Amazing. I can feel an immense pressure from him," Nymeria said, and was telling the truth. Since she was nearing the peak of the Star Core Realm, she could barely resist the soul pressure from a Nascent Soul Realm being, but this tree's passive aura was on another level. Despite not being directed or weaponized against her, its mere presence subtly weighed on her shoulders as if serving as a constant reminder that she could be crushed anytime.

Not even her Father, Astralis, emitted such an aura.

One of Stella's many silver rings flashed, and a pill appeared in her hand. "Here, take this," she threw it, and Nymeria easily caught it. "It's a Mind Fortress pill. It will help protect your consciousness from collapsing should Ash wish to speak to you directly and help you relax."

Nymeria wasn't very well-versed in pills, as monsters didn't know how or care to delve into alchemy. It was seen as a thing that weak humans did to keep up with monsters that could grow their cultivation through devouring each other.

Perhaps sensing her confusion, Stella added, "Don't worry. It's totally safe. It's made from a fruit grown here and mixed with some other plants. You can just gulp it down, and it will work on its own."

Nymeria scrutinized the tiny round ball between her fingers for a moment longer before throwing it into her mouth and doing as instructed. It was a strange sensation to swallow something without chewing it first, but as Stella said, the pill dissolved in her stomach, and a strange calm washed over her mind.

"Feeling better?" Stella asked.

Nymeria nodded. A great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and the stress from the beast tide seemed like a distant memory. "I'm feeling much better now, thank you."

Stella laughed. "You know, Nymeria, you're quite polite and easy going for a dragon. Having interacted with him," she gestured to Kaida, who had just emerged from the desolation rift beside the silver wooden dragon that had been her half-brother, "I was expecting you to be a lot more arrogant."

"That's because I'm half human..."

"Don't give me that crap," Stella cut her off. "Humans are some of the most arrogant drivel I've ever had the displeasure of interacting with. In a way, I prefer monsters and their way of doing things."

"Oh, I see. I've rarely interacted with humans before, so everything I hear about them is through stories and legends."

"Such as?"

"That they are weaklings," Nymeria replied without hesitation.

Stella burst out laughing, "Weaklings! I suppose that is true, yeah. Not that I can blame them too much. Cultivating safely by only absorbing Qi from the world around us instead of also getting it from devouring beasts' cores is inefficient."

"You speak as if you aren't a human," Nymeria said hesitantly, "I know you say your parents are both spirit trees, but you look and act very much like a human to me."

"Looks can be deceiving, you know?" Stella said mysteriously, "But, you're right. I might act like a human, as I was raised by them during my early childhood, and I look and cultivate like a human—I suppose I sound detached from their struggles due to the pills I have made from our homegrown fruit. They allow me to overcome heart demons and effortlessly pass bottlenecks like a monster would, as you guys don't have as defined cultivation realms."

"Interesting... I never knew these pills humans are known to use were so useful," Nymeria mused. "Is this where you cultivate, then?"

Stella looked around, "Um, honestly? No... at least not yet. I really should. I usually cultivate inside the Mystic Realm and get lazy when I leave it."

"Mystic Realm?" Nymeria asked. She had never heard that term before.

"We have a way to occasionally access pocket realms made by Monarch Realm cultivators or even gods. Sometimes, they contain inheritances or divine treasures, but usually, they are filled with Qi, making cultivation a breeze. In fact, I got these trees and flowers from a recent Mystic Realm trip."

"Right..." Nymeria didn't know if Stella was making up things to impress her, or if this spirit tree was actually some kind of god. "So what is this place if not your cultivation spot?"

"Its name is Moros," a thousand voices overlapping each other said directly in her mind, before Stella could answer. "It's a Bastion. A floating island that serves as a fortress and can be maneuvered around like an airship. It's what we will use to venture into the storm in search of your father or another Primal Overlord that can get us in touch with Zephyrine."

Stella nodded as if she could also hear the voice, "What Ash says is correct."

"You're Ashlock?" She asked in her mind while looking at the giant tree that had to be hundreds of meters high.

"That's correct." He answered. His voice was nothing like she had ever heard before. Not only did it sound like many voices speaking at once from all directions, but it carried this weight of absolute meaning with every word.

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"Now, face me and stay still for a moment. I want to check a few things."

Nymeria was confused, but did as instructed. It may sound meek, but she had learned how to survive in the wilderness. It was all about balance. While strength was respected and feared, sometimes it was best to bow and beg before the strong. This was one such case where being prideful wouldn't get her anywhere.

Her intuition turned out to be right, as there was a resounding crack from the tree as it seemed to split down the middle. The crack slowly widened like a sleeping dragon opening their eye, and from within the darkness of the great spirit tree's trunk was an eye that looked right at her. It was unfathomably big, and she felt rooted in place under the tree's scrutinizing gaze. Without the protection of the Mind Fortress pill Stella had been so gracious to gift her, she would have been a trembling mess.

"Mhm, your cultivation is around the peak of the Star Core Realm, and you cultivate cosmic Qi?"

"Yes," Nymeria gulped, "I inherited it from my Father."

"So he also cultivates cosmic Qi? You said Astralis was nearing Monarch Realm, right?"

"Yeah, at least at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, maybe even the Monarch Realm. I apologize, but his power is so far beyond mine that I can't answer accurately."

"That makes sense..."

Nymeria shuddered a little as she felt the gaze seem to scrutinize her down to the soul level. While it was uncomfortable, she had questions. The great spirit tree seemed knowledgeable and capable of deep analysis, which wasn't something monsters knew or talked about, so she was curious.

"If it wouldn't be so presumptuous of me to ask, but I've been stuck at the peak of the Star Core Realm for quite a while. Do you think I'm ready to take that next step?"

"Yes, you are quite close. Your Star Core is nearing its limit for gathered Qi. However, it seems your human lineage has crippled your superior dragon spirit roots, so your talent is only above average. That's likely why you feel stuck."

Nymeria furrowed her brows. "What do you mean by talent?"

"It's a made-up term by the humans. They like to think they are born with some heaven-gifted ability to cultivate, but really, it just comes down to how efficiently their spirit roots can absorb and process Qi. Some are born with dead spirit roots, dooming them to live their life out as a mortal. Others are born with perfect spirit roots that let them cultivate quickly. You are somewhere in the middle."

Nymeria looked down at her hands and frowned, "I'm average? Is there a way to fix that?"

"There sure are. We even have a pill that can permanently improve your spirit roots," Stella said, summoning a pill to her hand. It was larger than the previous one, and she could smell its earthy smell from here. As if noticing her curious and desperate expression, Stella closed her hand, and the pill vanished. "I'd be willing to give it to you after we meet with Zephyrine."

"Really?!" Nymeria said with genuine excitement. She was considered quite a strong monster in the grand scheme of things, but had felt her cultivation slow to a crawl a few decades ago. The Qi in this realm simply wasn't dense enough to cultivate, so she was stuck waging wars against other monster factions and devouring her enemies to keep up.

To think all of her problems with slow progress could supposedly be solved with that single pill Stella had briefly shown her.

"I'll be right back," Stella said, and she vanished in a flash of white flames.

Nymeria blinked, but then remembered they hadn't returned to Stella's lands to have a fun chat. They had come to gather enough forces to fight through the beast tide and make contact with a Primal Overlord.

But she hadn't been left alone. Kaida, the shadow lich, and her brother, who had turned into an Ent, were here.

Kaida floated through the air beside her and looked down with those intense golden eyes. "Come with me." He said, and Nymeria complied. He led her toward the edge of Moros before pausing. "Can you fly?"

Nymeria nodded. Her Star Core pulsed, and spectral dragon wings manifested from her back. They were crafted from cosmic Qi.

Kaida seemed to look at them with a hint of interest, which was a little embarrassing. "Mhm, good wings. Can you turn into a dragon?"

"Sadly, no. Once I reach the Nascent Soul Realm, some monsters unlock a more humanoid form. Since I'm already in a human form, I'll likely be able to turn into a dragon instead."

Kaida let out an amused snort, "I see. Follow me."

He effortlessly flew through the shield, and Nymeria hesitantly followed. It wrapped around her form, lightly tugging at her skin like water when leaving a river before giving way and letting her go into the storm. The roar of rain was almost deafening compared to the relative quiet on the Bastion.

Following behind Kaida, she glanced around. The Bastion was a massive island, around half as long as the great spirit tree was tall. It was floating over a mountain peak and seemed to be serving as shelter for a massive hole in the middle of the peak. As they dived down below it and got closer, Nymeria noticed there was a pillar in the middle of the hole and some building with a tree growing from it.

"What is this place?" Nymeria shouted ahead at Kaida. The dragon glanced over his back.

"This is Red Vine Peak, the most important place in the Ashfallen Sect." He said, then pointed at the building, "And that is my library."

"Why are you taking me there?" Nymeria asked curiously.

"You will see," Kaida replied without looking back.

They set down before the entrance to the library, and Kaida led her inside. The first room they entered was lined with statues expertly crafted from stone on pedestals. It was a strange mixture of humans, a demoness, and even a giant spider.

"Who are these people?" Nymeria asked, but then recognized one of them. It was Stella.

"Important people in the Ashfallen Sect. It would be good for your survival if you memorize them," Kaida replied as he continued ahead without looking. "They can be short-tempered sometimes."

Aren't you also engraved here over the door? Nymeria thought, but simply nodded and burned their forms into her mind. She greatly appreciated whoever made them, as the detail was almost lifelike, and their names were engraved into the pedestals. The creaking of the second set of doors drew her attention, and she followed behind Kaida and failed to suppress her amazement.

"Woah..."

The cavern was large but not expansive. Dominating the centre was a large demonic spirit tree whose dense canopy was blocking the storm, despite the massive hole in the roof it was growing out of. It was nothing compared to the great spirit tree Ashlock, but it had its own aura of mystery, mainly due to its bark having a glossy sheen and being engraved with runes, as if it were made from ink. The tree also grew from an ink lake that took up most of the space.

While beautiful, what really drew Nymeria's interest was the giant bookcase along the left side, filled to the brim with books. Nymeria also had a few books stored away that had been looted from human cities. Reading them was one of the ways she found to practice and maintain her ability to speak in the human tongue.

"That's a lot of books," Nymeria said.

"Do you like reading?" Kaida said, seeming surprised.

"Of course, all dragons love knowledge."

"You're not a dragon."

Nymeria put her hands on her hips and stared at Kaida, "Are you like my brother and the others, too?"

"No, I'm just stating the facts. If you were a dragon, you would have unparalleled talent compared to a human. If you were a dragon, you would have real wings instead of ones conjured from Qi." Kaida said while he floated over the ink lake toward the tree. "That's why you aren't a dragon—you are Nymeria, a half dragon, half human. There's nothing wrong with that, so long as you don't try to be something you aren't."

"But when I reach Nascent Soul Realm—"

"You can change forms, I know. But if I changed forms into a human, does that make me a human?" Kaida asked, and Nymeria didn't really have an answer. She wanted to say no, but that would then invalidate her argument.

"My situation is different, okay?"

"The shape of your vessel doesn't define what you are, your bloodline does," Kaida explained as he carved some runes into a piece of bark. "You are a unique existence, so a label like dragon doesn't really fit. If there were a dragon-only technique, could you use it? Maybe, but also maybe not. I believe you will progress faster if you dismiss these ideas and pursue what works for you. For example, I doubt you have delved much into your human side and relied solely on the methods of cultivation used by dragons. Do that, and you will always be behind even with the help of a pill from Stella."

"I... um..." Nymeria was lost for words. Why was Kaida telling her all of this? Why was he... helping her?

"Come over here," Kaida said, and she leapt over the ink lake in a daze. They were now really close, and Kaida put his claw on her chest without warning.

"What are you doing?!" Nymeria was shocked from her daze by the touch.

"Relax," Kaida snorted with amusement, "I'm anchoring your soul here."

That did not relax Nymeria in the slightest. What in the nine realms was he talking about?

"If you get hurt or almost die, you will reappear here and receive healing. Quill here has many healing, detoxifying, and other support techniques engraved onto his bark. I've also added a condition that it will stop working in a week, as I don't know what Stella plans to do with you." Kaida leaned in, "I just don't want you to die out there."

Nymeria felt a heat in her chest and wasn't sure if it was the soul linking or because Kaida was so close. He was absolutely beautiful for a dragon, and his eyes were mesmerizing.

"What is going on in here?" Stella's voice rang out across the room, startling Nymeria.

"Nothing," Kaida replied.

Stella narrowed her eyes briefly, looked between them, and finally shrugged. "Whatever, come with me. I've got everyone together, and Moros is leaving for the beast tide." Turning on her heel, she left in a flash of white flames.

A silence stretched between Nymeria and Kaida.