3 Entering the Dark Sky Starry Sec (1/2)

As soon as she entered the maze, Shin Sumi felt her senses become distorted.

It was a strange place, and it soon became evident that the maze was not designed by any mortal.

Shin Sumi had always been a smart girl. She knew that if she followed one of the walls, she should normally have been able to find the exit easily.

But as if the most basic laws of space didn't apply here, she found herself returning to the entrance no matter how hard she tried.

”If common sense doesn't apply, then I should try with instinct !”

Shin Sumi knew it would lead her nowhere, but was still unable to bring herself to use the strange nut once again.

The shame she felt was already big enough thus she decided to retract her hand from the reassuring surface of the wall next to her.

She walked for a bit, turning left and right, walking up or down the flights of stairs she encountered, randomly based on impulse.

In less than half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shin Sumi was lost in the maze.

She had no idea where to go, and whenever she turned around, she didn't recognize the way she just came from.

The dense fog hid everything out of a three steps radius around her.

Luckily the maze was just a test and there were no traps nor any danger lurking in the fog.

Shin Sumi found herself walking for what seemed like forever before her resolution slowly started to crumble.

For the sixth time since she entered the maze, her eyes looked down at a crack on a stone step.

She recognized the crack because it was shaped like the birthmark on the priest's forehead from East Seaside Village.

Shin Sumi was walking in circles, no matter where she turned in the large foggy passageways.

Finally stopping her useless walking, Shin Sumi slid her hand in her garments.

She easily found the nut, stuck between her breasts.

Taking it out in the open, Shin Sumi started talking.

”Alright little nut. You win this time. Please show me the way ! I don't care what I have to do, just get me out of here. You want me to join this Dark Sky Starry Sect, right ? Fine, I'll do it.”

Obviously Shin Sumi didn't want to join the sect. She clearly wasn't fit to become an Immortal, the three successive tests had shown it to her over and over.

But she wanted to get out of the maze. She had never been adventurous to begin with, and she hadn't asked to get stuck in a maze made by Immortals.

She had to agree to follow the nut. It was the nut who had brought her here in the first place.

As soon as Shin Sumi spoke the words out loud, she extended her hands in front of her.

She took a step forward, and another, waiting for the nut to show a reaction.

She was again starting to wonder if she had gone crazy, when finally the nut started trembling in her right hand.

Shin Sumi was at the intersection between three paths when the nut started to roll off her palm.

In the wriggling fashion she was starting to get used to, the nut followed her arm, rolled over her shoulder and down.

It seemed for a moment that the nut was hesitating between rolling down her breasts, but one angry glance from Shin Sumi made it keep going reluctantly.

A second later the nut was in the palm of her left hand.

”I can't believe it worked. Thank you little nut, show me the way !”

Shin Sumi turned left, following the indications given by the rolling nut.

***

She followed the nut for an undetermined period of time, sometimes turning right, left, or even going backwards.

Her senses were still blurred by the dense fog and her path didn't make sense to her, but she had no choice but to keep walking.

The whole time she kept asking herself questions.

”What is this nut ? Why can it feel the Shinsoo when I can't ?”

She was intrigued by the nut, and even more by the book that appeared every time she tried to throw the nut away, but overall she was mostly angry at it.

She had never asked for any of it.

”One thing is for sure, as soon as I get the chance, I'm leaving you somewhere inside the Dark Sky Starry Sect. Who knows, maybe an Immortal will be interested in you and take you away !”

As soon as she spoke the words out loud, the nut stopped moving and bit her hand. Hard.

”Ouchiiie !”

This time the nut seemed as angry at her as she was at it. She couldn't see any mouth on the smooth surface of the nut, but she could definitely feel the teeth.

Holding her wrist, she looked at the place where she felt the bite.

Two circular rows of small dots were visible on her fair skin.

”You bit me to the blood ! How could you ? I'm not ... what ?”

Looking down more closely, Shin Sumi was speechless.

The nut indeed bit her to the blood. Tiny red droplets were forming on her wrist, following the bite mark.

But the strangest thing was that the blood didn't flow down like it would normally do.

Instead, the drops were moving in in a strange pattern.

The blood seemed to condense in the shape of a leaf, right there on her white wrist !

Shin Sumi ignored the pain and looked at the drawing that was appearing to sink under her skin.

”This leaf design... It is the same as the cover of the book ! What does that mean ? What have you done to my skin little nut ?!”

However, no amount of questions brought a response from the nut. Instead it went back in her palm, prompting her to keep walking.

Shin Sumi took another step forward, still holding her wrist when suddenly, her surroundings disappeared.

Instead of being in the middle of the maze, she found herself under a grand archway.

There it was, the end of the third test !

Looking over her shoulder, Shin Sumi saw a blurred pathway, filled with fog. From the outside it seemed exactly like the entrance.

”Junior Sister Shin ! You've made it ! I was certain you would succeed.”

A familiar voice brought her out of her daze as she turned her head again.

Fen Wudao was standing five steps away from her, on the other side of the third gate.

”Welcome to the fourth test !”

Shin Sumi's head started spinning as she heard her Senior Brother speak.

”What ? There's a fourth test ?!”

”Ahaha it's just a joke ! I'm sorry I couldn't refrain myself. Welcome to the Dark Sky Starry Sect ! You passed the three tests !”

Fen Wudao looked at Shin Sumi with a happy glint in his eyes. His head was a bit cocked to the side and one side of his lips curled upwards in a teasing smile.

When Shin Sumi heard that it was a joke, she felt relieved. She had had enough of the tests.

Now the most important was to find a way to have the nut leave her be. Maybe her Senior Brother Fen could help !

Shin Sumi looked at her hand still clenched. But when she opened it, nothing was inside.

Looking around, she couldn't see the nut anywhere, and she was certain she couldn't feel it in her bosom.

Suspiciously, she looked at her wrist.

”Are you okay Junior Sister Shin ?”