The plains stretched endlessly.
Not majestic.
Not terrifying.
Just… endless.
Grass bent under the violent wind created by a machine tearing across the mud road at six hundred kilometers per hour. The yellow-black vehicle cut through the green ocean like a blade, its engine humming with aristocratic arrogance.
Inside, Reha lay sprawled across the rear luxury seat — the kind kings negotiated wars to afford. The breeze filtering through the micro-vents carried the scent of soil and crushed chlorophyll.
She hated it.
Kilometers of nothing.
Just grass.
Just sky.
Just wind.
"Grass should not exist in this quantity," she muttered, half-asleep. "It's excessive."
Above and slightly behind the speeding car rolled something even stranger.
A giant green turtle.
Its legs had been replaced by rotating metallic wheels, spinning so fast the air burned around them. Upon its shell stood a boy — white hair flowing wildly, human face calm, tail swaying lazily behind him. Across his shoulders rested a red staff carved with coiling golden dragons.
Kapi.
His eyes were wide.
Not with excitement.
With peace.
The turtle glanced up.
"Kapiboy. First time seeing common grassland?"
No response.
The boy inhaled slowly, as if tasting the wind.
In the Yaksh Parl highlands, the grass shimmered with qi. Every blade glowed faintly blue or violet. Herbs there could refine marrow, strengthen tendons, awaken bloodlines.
Beautiful.
Overwhelmingly beautiful.
But this…
This was different.
No glow.
No power.
No divine fragrance.
Just green.
And somehow — it felt more alive.
"Mr. Xu," Kapi finally spoke, eyes still fixed ahead. "Are these grasses rare? Medicinal? Special?"
The turtle chuckled. "They are so ordinary that farmers curse them."
Silence.
"So… this is normal?" Kapi whispered.
Inside the car, Reha groaned without opening her eyes.
"Don't tell me you've never seen grass before. Does your sacred mountain only grow glowing fireworks?"
Kapi smiled faintly.
"We have fields of radiant herbs. Every step awakens a different aura. It is… loud."
"Loud?" she snorted.
"Yes." He looked at the endless green. "This is quiet."
Reha turned her head lazily. "Quiet? It's boring."
Kapi's tail flicked.
"I would trade a hundred spirit meadows for this."
She laughed. "Then i should've been born there ."
He tilted his head.
"You would not survive one minute."
That made her open her eyes.
"And why exactly?"
"In these plains," he said gently, "even ants hunt."
She stared at him.
"…Ants."
Mr. Xu spoke calmly, "The plains unicorn ants can expand to the size of elephants when threatened."
Reha blinked.
"…That's stupid."
"It is biology," the turtle corrected.
She sat up now, irritated. "You two exaggerate everything. I may not punch mountains like you, but I am not dying to an insect."
Kapi finally looked at her directly.
Not mocking.
Not teasing.
Simply stating a fact.
"You are brilliant, Reha. But your bones are still human."
That stung.
She clenched her jaw.
Before she could fire back—
Mr. Xu's eyes sharpened.
Without warning, he spat.
A tiny droplet infused with qi shot forward — slicing through the air like condensed lightning — and struck the rear wheel of the speeding car.
BOOM.
The vehicle destabilized instantly.
Emergency systems activated in under a millisecond. The body tilted, tires screamed, air pressure exploded outward as the car spun violently across the mud road.
Grass flattened in a circular shockwave.
Inside, Reha was slammed sideways as airbags deployed and restraints locked her in place.
The car drifted ninety meters before stabilizing.
Silence fell
In seconds, Reha was outside the car.
She hadn't even felt Kapi move
One moment inside.
Next moment in his arms.
He set her down gently.
She shoved his chest and stepped forward.
Furious, she glared at the turtle.
"Why?"
Her voice shook.
"I could have died—"
Xu didn't answer.
He tapped her shoulder.
Pointed.
Reha turned.
Her breath stopped.
The car—
A massive spear had pierced straight through it, splitting metal like paper. The road beneath was cratered, torn open.
If she had been inside—
Her fingers went numb.
Every hair on her body stood on end.
Her knees buckled.
She dropped.
Her mouth opened.
No sound came out.
Her eyes stayed wide.
Her heartbeat roared in her ears.
She was alive.
Barely.
To be continued.