Chapter 376: Replacing Gods (1/2)
The tree seemed reluctant, so Arthur had to give up more of his spiritual energy, enhanced with his Art, to coax it. After getting the fifth branch from the tree, Arthur walked back toward the city.
He waved the branch around, and he sensed the unique quality that the branch had on the world. However, he couldn't use it to its fullest potential. Only the wood spirit could.
”Adrian is full of mysteries,” Arthur came to realize as he walked toward the workshop. Before he got there, he noticed Li still sitting on top of the roof, meditating.
Using his chains to jump on top of the roof, Arthur landed next to his friend. He sat beside him without saying anything, not wanting to distract him. However, Li was the one to initiate a conversation.
”My Lord...”
”Don't call me that,”
”I want to go through the process again,” Li said as he stood up. ”I want to grow stronger.”
”Chill out, Li.” Arthur shook his head. ”Adrian already said that your spiritual body is at its limits. So you need to rest a bit before he agrees to help you.”
”That's why I'm asking you,” Li said with a resolute tone. ”Fight me using your chains, please.”
”No,”
”My Lord...”
”You will die, Li.” Arthur shook his head. ”These chains are far stronger than the Stars Reaver. You've seen what happened when I struck the bell in the Earthen World.”
”That's why I'm asking you to help me,” Li clenched his fist tightly. ”I can't hold you back on this island. Even if I risk my existence, I want to grow stronger enough to contract the spirit.”
”Why would you go to such lengths?” Arthur was curious since he didn't know anything about Li's motives. ”You've told me that a meteor destroyed your village, but it's not like that would happen more than once.”
”The thing is that it will.” Li barked harshly for the first time since Arthur met him. ”The meteor was never a coincidence,” Li's voice lowered. ”It was by design.”
”Design?” Arthur raised a brow. ”Do you mean that someone destroyed your village?”
”A man appeared in my village a month ago,” Li didn't answer Arthur's question directly. ”He told me that it would happen again. It wasn't about me but about the kingdom itself. We are facing famine, and the resources the kingdom can provide are limited.”
”And how is that related to the meteor?”
”The kingdom didn't want to admit that it can't provide food in these difficult times. The moment it does, an uprising would be inevitable.”
”What about agriculture?”
”No fertile lands, as if something stole their life.” Li shook his head. ”That's why the Kingdom's strongest mage used his ability to summon meteors to cut off the dead weight every few months.”
”I see,” Arthur nodded. ”And that's why you want the ability to control gravity? To counter his ability?”
”That, of course, and for something else.” Arthur could hear the rage in Li's voice. ”I want to kill the king and that mage using the same method they used to kill people.”
Arthur was silent as he looked at the sky. The fluffy clouds looked dark today, and he wondered if there was rain in the Spirit Realm. Li was going down the path of revenge, but was that the right path to take?
”This goal will haunt you, even if you succeed,” Arthur said after a brief silence. ”Revenge might be the right thing to do, but it isn't right for you.”
”I don't care what's right for me,” Li replied. ”I only seek justice in this chaotic world, for myself and those I hold dear.”
”What about the rest of the world? Would you go help everyone?”
”If you ask me to,” Li said seriously with a nod.
”Man, you are so serious that I can't refuse.” Arthur smiled. ”Let's take this elsewhere then.”
***
The chains flew in the air like whips, attacking Li from every direction as he tried to dodge away. Li used his spiritual energy and punched at the chains, but it was futile as they didn't budge.
Arthur was bored.
He didn't need to use the chains consciously, only ordering them to attack Li in a non-fatal manner. However, it seems that even that was impossible.