Chapter 125 (2/2)

“Disciples from small Styles who receive such attention inevitably die.” Shal snorted, but he followed them as they headed up back into the Tassle shop.

Randidly was led deeper, past the yellows, the oranges, the reds, then the maroons and light blues, into an area where there were pinks, lilacs, blues, and seafoam greens. For several minutes, he slowly walked among the colors, helplessly looking around. Honestly, he had no idea what he was looking for. But they were both looking at him with such expectations, it was hard to just pick something-

Then he saw it.

Folded neatly in the corner, on the bottom shelf, covered in dust, was a green. A dark green. Randidly walked over and picked it up. The fabric was rich and smooth, and as Randidly unfolded the Tassle, he realized that it glittered emerald in the sun. It was rich and vibrant, silky and fluid in his hands.

“Is this… acceptable…?” Randidly asked uncertainly. The woman smiled, and brought him a brush.

“Now bring it to the table and write your name.”

They spread the emerald Tassle on the table and Randidly looked at the brush in his hand with shock. This was…!

Just like the Engraving Needle, he could feel his mana tremble as he held it, almost as if they were ready to flow down along the brush and into the Tassle. There was no ink, but Randidly knew that if he set the brush to the Tassle…

More than that though, he felt EVERYTHING tremble. His health seemed prepared to slide out of him and onto the fabric, and his stamina too. Even a thin thread of Aether seemed to be flowing downwards to his fingers.

Somewhat lost in the feeling, Randidly lowered the brush to the fabric and smoothly wrote Randidly. After several weeks, although he wasn’t a master, he had at least a pretty solid familiarity with how to pool the energy when the letters curved, and be smooth and light when there were straight lines.

But after finishing Randidly, he realized that as he was using everything, he had much more reserves to spare; he had barely used ¼ of anything. So this time, as he slowly drew out the words Ghosthound on the Tassle, he took his time, carefully filling every stroke with energy. Letting the health, mana, stamina, and hint of Aether pool like an ocean beneath each letter. Letting currents building and grow in the depths of his writing.

Suddenly, Randidly blinked, looking at the words. He had finished. His hands were trembling, and the darkness at the corners of his vision seemed to indicate his health was very low. In addition, his body felt raw and twitchy, as if an electric current had run through him.

But before him, the word Randidly was spelled simply, the writing serviceable and gold on the emerald background.

But Ghosthound….

Ghosthound was larger, and looping, filling the entire middle portion of the Tassle with graceful and imposing letters. It felt like a challenge to the world, a prideful statement of one’s own worth.

Shal made a disgusting noise. “...Ostentatious.”

The woman simply laughed.

****

They left with the Tassle and a matching strip of cloth in the same emerald color, which, when they arrived back at their boat, they hung from the mast. As they did so, everyone in the surrounding boats stilled, and then looked up at the emerald cloth quietly. It certainly stood out a lot amongst the orange, red, and yellow, but there were blue and light green flags, at least a few of them, so why was green such a big deal…?

Even the silent old man, who hadn’t reacted to their arrival, shifted and looked up at the emerald streamer for a long second. Then his gaze slid to Randidly.

Chuckling, the man said “Seems my old boat is going to be lively these days.” Then he returned to his meditations, a small smile on his face.

Randidly had asked multiple times about the meaning of the colors, but Shal had just ignored him, stating that they would talk in the morning, and left, leaving Randidly to his own room and his own thoughts.

To his surprise, he checked his status screen to discover that he had gained 7 levels in the Spear Advances, Ash Trails, in that single use. It seemed that either image was really that important, or the fact that he was against that powerful spear woman had really boosted his experience. He also received a level in Phantom Half-Step.

That PP was enough to get another tick up on his Soul Skill, earning him +15 Stamina and +1 Agility and Strength.

Struck by a sudden thought, Randidly closed his eyes, focusing his eyes inward, turning his attention to that place in his chest where his Soul Skill spun slowly, continually rotating around. While he watched previously, there were slow, gradual changes in the cycle, as he witnessed rot balloon up the biological matter, only to have it burn to ash, refining it slowly.

But now, Randidly checked within himself, watching closely. After a time, he opened his eyes.

Yes, it was happening. The use of PP sped up the process. Peppering the soil were now small, sand like grains of crystal, holding a strange energy within them. This was the energy refined from the continued cycle, the pure minerals that could be used to enrich a certain growth.

To his eyes, they glowed emerald, eerily similar to the shade he picked out for his Tassle earlier that day.