A Waste of Time

Chapter 157: Seed of Vengeance

The woman’s voice came again, threaded with a startled note when she sensed the boy’s aura. A faint shiver of sorrow laced her tone, as though the weight of what she felt pressed against her chest. Such heavy killing intent at such a young age… you must’ve been through a lot. I’m sorry, Child. Her words echoed faintly, soft as falling ash in the stillness between them.

Daemon shrugged without opening his eyes, his lashes heavy against the dim glow. It’s all right. There are surely others my age who’ve had it worse. At least I had the strength, as a mortal, to stand against those who call themselves Immortals. His voice brushed the mental link like stone dragged over silk — quiet, but carrying a grit that could not be smoothed.

The Swordswoman’s reply came, calm yet edged, her presence in his mind like the cool touch of steel kissed by moonlight. Good. Focus on the positive. Dwelling on the past or chasing vengeance will only cloud your judgment and slow your advancement. A pause stretched, weighted with her unspoken concern. Keep your head down and do the work. Don’t pursue vengeance like a fool — that single-mindedness invites others to exploit you.

Daemon drew a steady breath. The air was damp and cool, tinged faintly with earth and iron, grounding his thoughts as he answered. Don’t worry, Senior. I can be patient. I may be young and weak now… but one day I’ll be mature and bursting at the seams with uncontrollable power. He cracked his eyes open just enough to let a sliver of pale light cut across them. My wrath will be poured down on those who killed my friends — not in buckets or barrels, but in streaming rivers and raging seas.

The tunnel walls seemed to lean in, swallowing the soundless vow, while the mental link held taut — like a bowstring drawn back to its limit. The silence hummed, as though the world itself was listening. Inside him, resolve coiled sharp and unyielding, its edge flashing with a cold gleam. Like I said before, it is Kill. Without. Mercy. Or. Die. Trying. There's no other way around.

Sigh. The woman’s breath spilled into the mental link, not in relief but in quiet resignation. The road of revenge, huh… it’s as if we’re destined to walk that path alone, even if those who truly cared for us most in the world tried to stand at our side.

Daemon caught the heavy melancholy carried in her tone — regret dragged its shadow through every syllable, and beneath it, the faint brush of despair.

He said nothing, sitting motionless, the crushing weight of Spirit-Pressure and Gravity-Suppression seeping into his bones like an invisible tide. The silence stretched, broken only by the low hum of the gate’s formation. The woman was first to speak again, her voice threading into his thoughts with quiet insistence. You don’t seem like you’ll endure this place much longer. Even if you somehow cross the Domains of Spirit-Pressure and Gravity-Suppression, you still won’t be able to open this Verdant Trial Gate.

Daemon tilted his head slightly, interest flickering. Yeah. I was about to retreat anyway… but can you tell me more about this Verdant Trial Gate? Why do I feel my physique improving while sitting here?

The Turtle Ancestor owned a few Ancient Artifacts. Five of them, I destroyed in our battle — it enraged him so much he nearly coughed Heart-Blood… hehe… that was fun! Her laugh was brittle, then softened into another sigh. But I still lost, betrayed by that hateful Blue Luan. It used a Reverse-Formation of Thirty-Six Flood-Dragon Pearls to strip our battlefield bare, air and ground both drained of water thanks to their teamwork.

Her voice sharpened, circling back. This Verdant Trial Gate now imprisons me. It gnaws at my Vitality, my Wood, Water, and Life Elements.

Daemon listened in silence, the fog around the colossal gate glowing faintly as if the woman’s bitterness seeped into the air itself.

I bet the ones controlling this Mountain will be all over you once you try to open it. But you were lucky to find one of the Glow-Root Crystals I scattered through the formation nodes, each one slipped in whenever I caught a weakness in that damned Turtle’s Suppression Formation.

She paused, her tone cooling to flat recollection. They thought my pod would never regrow seeds after my capture. But I could — I just refuse under these circumstances, since it would cripple my foundations. So instead, I scattered the seeds I’d hidden in a Pocket of Space tied to my Soul. Those two greedy beasts plundered me of treasures, petals, leaves, seeds… but they never dared touch my pod or stem. They still want to keep me alive — useful to them in the long run.

The air around Daemon seemed to thrum with her pride, a faint floral note piercing through the stagnant damp of the tunnel.

Anyway… you keep that Glow-Root Crystal. If you ever leave this Mountain, plant it far away in the Southeast. There’s a chain of volcanoes there—

Daemon interrupted before she could spiral further, his brow twitching at her endless tangents. Do you mean the Burning Dawn Dynasty? There’s a place that fits your description exactly — but a Sect occupies that land.

What is it called? Her eagerness sharpened suddenly, hope breaking through her weary tone.

Uh… now that you mention it, there’s a similarity between you and that Solar Lotus Sect, Daemon replied. His gaze shifted to the gate itself, not to her phantom figure or the brown turtle nearby, but to the Lotus engraved on the metal. His chest tightened with a suspicion he hesitated to voice. Are you…

Yeah. The woman’s tone flared — wrath cracking through her composure. I’m the Heavenly Lotus. The woman you see on the gate is the manifestation of my Martial Spirit. Damn it! I was so close… All I needed was to surpass my Heavenly Tribulation! Bastards!

Her voice rang with derangement and unspent fury, echoing like a tempest against the gate.Daemon let her rage settle before pressing on. Alright then. What should I expect if I plant this Glow-Root Crystal?

Just a Seedling. A version of myself with the potential to grow as strong as me — if you’re willing to sacrifice enough Spirit Resources. This time she sounded lazy, almost mischievous. Her sudden shift in tone was startling, but Daemon understood. Loneliness warped even the proudest spirit when chained too long.

He was about to rise, satisfied with what he’d learned, when two familiar voices barged into his head.

Boss, why is there a babe’s voice in my head? Is there an angel visiting our mental link today? Ippo’s teasing rang out shamelessly, prodding the Heavenly Lotus.

Daemon. Me and Ippo just completed the Orc Camp Mission and got rewarded with access to the Inventory in the real world, Kai added, his calm voice punctuated by the flicker of items manifesting through the link: the Spider Ring, Death Band, Life Pendant, Winter Aegis, and several of Asura’s Weapons glimmered faintly before vanishing again.

Daemon’s lips curved faintly. See if you can access the items I store in the Inventory, then. Lady Lotus mentioned that planting the Glow-Root Crystal in Solar Lotus Sect territory would yield a Seedling of herself. Ippo, don’t waste that chance. I also put a few Space-Pouches in there for you — she said it will need plenty of Spirit Resources to grow. His tone hardened. Also… I need your help. Keep eating, both of you. I need all the Vitality I can get.

W-what is going on? Who are these two? Why can’t I sense them? The Glow-Root Crystal, your storage tools — they vanished just like that! Wait… I can still sense my Seed, but it’s so distant, so faint! For the first time, the Heavenly Lotus sounded rattled, her composure fractured.

Yet Daemon remained where he was, even as the doubled weight of Spirit-Pressure and Gravity-Suppression pressed harder, threatening to grind him down. His breath grew shallow, but not once did he flinch to flee.

I guess I’ll have to accompany Yan Ru and Yan Jia in their Sect-Entrance Exam. Don’t worry, Lady Lotus — this handsome green beast of Konoha promises to plant your Seed in fertile soil, Ippo teased shamelessly, leaving both Kai and Daemon cringing.

Tehehe… such a naughty little one. You’re lucky I can’t sense you, or I’d have straightened that nasty habit already! the Heavenly Lotus replied, her amusement genuine, even as confusion colored her voice.

They’re Ippo and Kai — we’re triplets. We’ve always been able to communicate over long distances since birth, Daemon explained, though he carefully left out the truth that they were his Clones.

But how did you make everything disappear? I felt the Element of Space twist and circle around you — yet Storage Tools can’t be hidden inside Space Pockets unless you’re at the Realm of D— She stopped mid-thought, silence swallowing her.

Daemon cracked his eyes open, gave the gate a long, steady look, then shut them again with a shrug.

The underground tunnel darkened, the Glow-Root’s light gone with the Crystal. The fog returned, veiling the colossal metal gate until its presence seemed like nothing more than a fading dream.

Here's a link to my discord server if you want to talk - .gg/HwHHR6Hds