Hours passed, finally it was time for the sun to retire for its deserved rest.
The tall rural buildings were consumed by the lightless atmosphere, and the dark streets were lit by candles encased in glass bulbs.
Beneath the moon's gaze, the people of Sant Flores threw a massive celebration and feast. The event was for Cole's revival and the discovery of a solution to the cursed‑tree dilemma.
Naturally, there was some discourse among the people. Some believed the tree was a generational heritage that should be preserved, while others saw it as a portal to attain supernatural powers. Despite the subtle discourse, everyone wore a happy face and danced around the ember flame.
Cole sat down, watching the wood crumble within the consuming flame.
He was far lost in thought; unlike the citizens, Cole didn't have the luxury of whiling away time. He had to ponder a solution, and he had to do it soon.
As usual, time was Cole's biggest foe.
More importantly, the biggest issue was that what Cole was searching for didn't exist. Neither was it possible to find a human capable of withstanding ascendant wavelength, locating her within a short span of two days was pure insanity.
Perhaps it was because of these factors that few villagers surpassed their protests deep within. In their minds, they were certain he would fail. The sparkling flame exposed his worried expression; Cole felt his uncertainty rapidly growing like a weed within him. He curled his hands together and rested his eyes.
"What now?"
'Seems like you're in quite a conundrum.' She spoke in a taunting voice.
Cole gasped, 'Oh! I had almost forgotten about you!'
'How rude!' she shrieked.
Fortunately, the deity had been watching Cole the entire time. From the moment he regained consciousness to when he made the agreement, she had been using his reckless antics as a form of pastime and entertainment. She also further proved Cole's suspicion by confirming she was unaware of who or what the old woman was, her origins, or even her reason behind everything.
Cole asked if she knew anything about the deity trapped inside the tree, but she denied it, claiming she was oblivious. Cole didn't have the guts to trust anyone, so he brushed his questions aside while maintaining the utmost caution.
'Is there any way you can help me?' Cole forced himself to beseech her.
The deity was amused by his request; she kept a long pause just to build suspense and further bully Cole. 'I might.' She finally responded after three minutes of silence. She then continued, 'Tell me…,'she tensed her voice.
'have you heard of a homunculus before?'
Cole furrowed his brows, 'I believe so… in those horror novels my aunt used to tell me.'
'Possibly.' She contributed.
'But there's more to them. During the late 16th century, indulgers of the past used them to seal dangerous spirits, house arch-deities, and ward off dark spots. They steadily declined since the 18th century.'
'I don't think anyone in this era can make them as well, especially since the indulger type 'potters' is incredibly rare,' she concluded.
'Potter? You didn't explain this to me before,' Cole scowled in dissatisfaction.
'I did tell you I was going to explain everything as briefly as possible,' she commented in a quirky manner.
Cole sighed in relief, 'Where are we going to find one of these potters?'
'Even if you do find them, I doubt they can make anything as potent as what you need. That's just how much of a let‑down this generation is.'
'So…,' Cole tried to reduce the length of their conversation as much as possible.
'You'll have to return to True Earth. There's an arch‑deity potter who was one of the best in the 16th century,' she went straight to the point.
Cole had mixed feelings about returning to True Earth; still, he was forced to push his opposition aside and seize whatever chance he could. Thanks to the deity's previous explanation, Cole had a pretty decent idea of how to return to True Earth.
'I have to die again.' He sank his eyes into his skull and rubbed his temples.
'Not just any normal death,' she cut in.
Cole was baffled by what she meant. According to her previous breakdown, now that he'd attained the Venerable and become one himself, he had access to the Mist Temple and True Earth. She also made it clear he couldn't bring a physical body into either, so he had to leave False Earth and his physical body behind.
She laughed at Cole's expression, 'You should really stop assuming everything I told you in a brief explanation was the full extent.'
'You don't just have to die; you need something to link you between True Earth and False Earth.' she lectured in an upsetting manner. 'That's why I asked you to use a Venerable; it exists in its own realm in between both worlds. Since you can't control the Mist Temple, dying would be suicidal—quite literally.'
The different terminologies and descriptions the deity mentioned gave Cole a migraine. Out of all the things she blabbered, the only thing his brain picked up was that he wasn't capable of going to False Earth even after death.
'Is there another way?' Cole inquired.
'There is one. You'll have to complete the requirements and assure yourself as a faction head. Once that's completed, you can use me as an intermediate.'
'I thought I was done with this after the handshake,' Cole complained.
'Barely even the first step,' the deity gave Cole a smug response.
Cole then scratched his chin, 'So what must be done? And will I meet the deadline?'
'All that depends on you. Are you willing to endure more pain?' she spoke softly.
Cole's lips twitched at the side of his cheeks, 'You're deriving joy from watching me like this, aren't you?'
'Just a bit.'
Cole exhaled deeply and agreed.
The deity stated that, in order for Cole to use her as an intermediate, he had to affirm himself as a faction head. But since she was still a forgotten deity, he wouldn't gain anything other than the connection.
To accomplish this, Cole had to locate one of her closest items, form a bond with it, and make it his. Through that process, their wavelengths would connect; the item would serve as a sort of Bluetooth, and a translational alliance would be confirmed. However, the plan itself had a major problem. Since the deity was a forgotten Japanese spirit…
'No,' Cole said,
'I'm never going to make it to Japan and back while looking for an object lost for possible centuries in under a day.' Excluding the possibility that the potter might not even agree to his request, or the amount of time required to complete a homunculus.
'What do you mean, 'no'?'she sounded offended.
'I won't meet the deadline. Forgive me, but I can't travel to Japan,' Cole declined as politely as possible.
'You're not very smart, are you?' she spoke with a thick voice. 'Simply go put your blood in a small glass and treat it with care until tomorrow. Once it dries, it'll become a direct link.'
Cole was lost, 'How does that work?'
'Via the agreement sealed by blood.' Her voice gradually faded. 'You must remember that much from our encounter—if not the conversation itself, then at least the pain…' her voice ceased
Cole's eyes widened from realization; he held his palm and brushed it with his gaze. He still had the depiction of the deep wound marked in his mind. At that same time, Cole's mind snapped back to the party he was in. For a brief moment, he forgot he was in a public gathering.
He sat flabbergasted as he observed the people of Sant Flores rejoicing. Cole stretched a long frown and focused his gaze on the burning wood. A small commemoration of his old whims and wishes disappeared along with the wood's ash. If he thought a peaceful life and happy future were extremely difficult with the life he had before… then, at this point, it was straight‑up impossible.
Peace and calm were nothing more than a daydream; this nightmare of do‑or‑die was his new reality. A synthesis of deadly, strenuous events worse than his old job—unlike being a veteran, his opponents weren't human nor normal. Something he struggled to accept despite the countless encounters.
Everything that unfolded was truly 50‑50.