Chapter 33 : Faith

Chapter 33: Faith

Anira was picking the small creatures called Necroxi plants, their behavior still was an enigma to Conrad. Sometimes they reacted to Anira's touch with almost childlike confusion, their tendril-like appendages curling and uncurling. Other times they completely ignored her presence, focused solely on their strange ritual of digging small holes in the ground only to fill them up again moments later.

Anira seemed to genuinely enjoy herself, cooing at the creatures as if they were pets. Conrad couldn't fathom what she found cute about those creepy things. Even though she herself warned him about these creatures she herself seemed to not mind their presence. Their pale, almost translucent bodies pulsed with an inner light that made his skin crawl. This entire place had an eerie vibe that set him on edge, like walking through a graveyard at midnight surrounded by only eternal silence, a slumber of dead.

While Anira played with her newfound friends, Conrad started to walk around, searching for any clues about their location. The darkness made it difficult - shadows seemed to move and shift of their own accord, and the dim light that filtered through the canopy above cast everything in an otherworldly glow.

Now that he had a moment of relative peace with Anira nearby, Conrad could finally process the bizarre situation they were in. That old man's face kept floating back into his thoughts - there had been something profoundly wrong about him, something that went beyond mere human oddity. From what Anira had described, Conrad had somehow gotten lost, encountered that strange elder, and then... been dragged away by the tree? The memory felt like trying to grab smoke.

Conrad's eyes drifted towards the grand tree looming before them. It was ancient, its trunk wider than any he'd ever seen, bark twisted into patterns that almost looked like faces. But it was what lay behind the tree that made his breath catch in his throat. Dense fog blanketed the area, but through gaps in the mist, he could see something impossible - a massive chunk of dark, blue-tinted water suspended in mid-air, defying gravity as if someone had carved out a piece of ocean and left it floating there.

"Holy hell? What the fuck is this?" Conrad blurted out, his academic composure cracking. "This looks like some scene from a science fiction movie."

"That is Comere Ocean, my lord." Anira's voice came from behind him, calm as ever. She stood there observing the supernatural sight, absently stroking one of the Necroxi she'd adopted. The creature had wrapped its tendrils around her wrist like a bracelet.

"Comere? Are we... beyond the Comere Ocean?" The question felt heavy on Conrad's tongue. From his memories of this world - memories that sometimes felt more like reading a history book than living a life - he knew there were lands beyond his continent. But most people lived and died without ever seeing anything beyond Comere's waters, let alone meeting someone from the other side.

Despite all the technological advances and efforts of the UG, crossing the Comere remained an enigma that haunted humanity's ambitions. Those who successfully traversed these waters were as rare as miracles, and their abilities made them invaluable to every nation in this world. It was one of the main reasons continental wars and invasions remained in the realm of theory rather than practice except from some instances of history.

Conrad remembered reading Nibad Dini's infamous book, "Travel to the Void." One passage in particular had stuck with him: "While crossing the Comere, do not think of fighting - you can only survive. A single entity there can wipe out our entire world's human population without even trying. That is the kind of threat you will be dealing with in those waters."

To some, Dini's words were gospel truth. To others, mere exaggeration. But with each passing generation, the legend grew larger, mutating like a game of telephone played across centuries. Nations had tried, of course - countless ships and submarines built with the finest technology, each attempt more ambitious than the last. But the results were always the same: ships would mysteriously break down after barely penetrating 100-200 kilometers into their journey. Submarines would simply... vanish. No survivors, no wreckage, no answers. Just the endless, hungry waters of The Comere.

"My lord, it is also possible we might be still in Freya but in one of the border nations like Almaz or Frostweave," Anira offered, her practical nature cutting through his dark musings.

"Yes, that is more likely..." Conrad said slowly, but something deep in his gut twisted at the words. "But for some reason, my gut feeling tells me this is a land beyond Comere."

"Gut feelings of an Essentia are generally not normal things," Anira said, moving closer to him. Her presence was oddly comforting in this alien landscape. "You might be correct, my lord. We should ask around in a nearby settlement."

"Yes, let's explore. We don't have all night - we need to return to our place before morning." Conrad turned to her. "Anira, let's use Teleportation."

"As you wish, my Lord." Anira took his hand, her grip firm and sure.

Ability: Mist Teleportation

A swirling mist materialized around them, dancing like spirits in the dim light. The Necroxi plants lifted their heads in unison, their pale bodies glowing brighter as they watched the mist envelope their visitors. In an instant, Anira and Conrad vanished, leaving only disturbed air and confused creatures behind.

Their strategy was simple but effective - teleport, rest, observe, repeat. Each jump drained their energy, so breaks were necessary not just for recovery but also to gather information about their surroundings.

"Anira, let's rest here before we teleport again." Conrad knelt down, gathering stones to start a fire. The cold here had a different quality to it - it seemed to seep into his bones. "Let me start a fire, it's freezing."

Anira watched him struggle with the stones, blinking innocently. "Isn't it easier to just use little Brahman, my lord?"

"Huh? We can do that?" Conrad paused mid-strike, looking up at her with surprise.

"At my level, I have forgotten most of the basic abilities of tier 0 as I continue to progress to refine my specific set of skills. But for you, my lord, you can try that," she explained, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"Forget abilities?" Conrad asked, just as a spark finally caught between his stones. "Oh no need for Brahman, I guess."

"Yes, my lord, we can forget abilities," Anira said, settling down nearby. "Just like anything else, we retain some understanding, but with time and without practice, applying scripts becomes very difficult. It's not impossible, and we can relearn abilities, but in battle where speed is everything..." She trailed off, choosing her words carefully. "It is better to use limited abilities with fast execution that we can remember and form instantly."

"Hmmm... that actually makes a lot of sense," Conrad nodded, drawing parallels to his academic background. "It's like an academy. Before I specialized in history, I had studied other subjects too, but with time I became more proficient in my chosen field. Other subjects? I can recall them somewhat, but that knowledge isn't polished anymore. It's just not easy to retain all that information outside your specialty."

"But of course, given little time, I can recall some of the basics like..." Anira demonstrated by creating a small fire nearby, using dry leaves as kindling. Her palm produced a low glow, then a modest spark that caught the leaves.

"...is that just a spark? I thought you might be shooting cannon balls or something cooler, I guess." The words slipped out before Conrad could stop them.

Anira's response was priceless - she frowned slightly, then turned away with an expression that could only be described as pouting. Conrad had to bite back a laugh. Is that her upset face? So cute...

"You're always cool, Anira," he said, trying to make amends. "Come sit here beside me... don't just sit there." He patted a spot next to him on the fallen tree he was using as a bench.

Anira slowly turned her head, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Then, in what could only be described as elegant rebellion, she walked over and sat down on the opposite side from where he'd indicated.

Hihihi, she's rebelling.

"Anira..." Conrad decided to change the subject. "I was reading the book in my free time. I noticed there was one line about Faith in Brahman. I didn't understand that line. Can you explain?"

She studied him for a long moment before speaking, her earlier sulk forgotten in the face of a serious question. "Faith is the most important thing in order to become an Essentia. We currently do not have any understanding of why it is the case or what the mechanism of faith is, but according to the recorded documents, one can only become an Essentia using Pret possession. It has only about a 30% chance of success."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "But it is not totally accurate. It has been observed that usually people with a strong theocrating background or strong faith in any religion or greater existence - like Gods or Demons - survive Pret possession more frequently than those who do not possess strong faith in anything. I would say about a 50/50 chance in cases of people with strong faith."

The information hit Conrad like a bucket of cold water. What? Is that that huge of an influence? But most people in this world don't believe in God. It's actually quite acceptable considering the long history of this world.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. "So Anira, what about you? Do you have faith in anything?"

"I do not know. As far as I remember, I was always an Essentia." Her eyes met his, filled with unwavering determination and loyalty. "But now I do have strong faith. I have a lord where my faith lies." She gave him a warm smile that made his heart skip a beat.

The answer made Conrad turn inward. What about me? If I remember correctly, when I came to this world, I was already an Essentia. Did the original Conrad get possessed by some pret that turned him into one, or did it happen because I possessed his body? In that sense, I am kind of like a pret. And what about faith? As far as I know, I don't have strong faith in any particular existence. The thought of it is a little spooky to me.

His philosophical musings were interrupted by a peculiar smell. Anira was roasting some fruits over the fire using a stick as a makeshift skewer. "Anira... what are those?"

"It's Night berry, usually found in the western coastal area of Freya," she replied, turning the stick carefully. "I had tasted them before - it's quite good, my lord."

Well, the taste might be, but the scent certainly isn't.

"Anira, let's get moving again. I hope you've recovered."

"Yes, my lord."

Their second teleportation landed them near what appeared to be the forest's edge. Both of them noticed it simultaneously - a small, dim light in the distance. Anira and Conrad exchanged glances.

"That looks like fire," Conrad finally said. "Anira, do you think it's some kind of trap?"

"My lord, let's hide for now and observe the situation." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but her stance had already shifted slightly. She was ready to eliminate any threat for her lord.