Amidst the silence of his own body, Soren wanted nothing more than to scream. His current circumstances were too absurd—far beyond any calculation he could have made.

But despite his panic, none of his actions reflected his true feelings. He didn't have any control over this mushroom-like body.

Take a deep breath, he reminded himself. Everything in this world—even the absurd—has a logical cause.

After I activated [Worldsong Murmurs] and chose a target, I was mysteriously transported to this world. My current state should also be related to it in some way.

That ability contains the power to manifest spirits. Although I am unsure of the actual process, I am fairly certain that my mental command gave 'form' to the Undying Coil—it is for that reason that I somehow ended up here…

He then thought of something outlandish, causing him to mentally recoil once again:

Could it be… This mushroom body… Is it the spirit I created?!

Although it sounded a bit crazy at first, Soren couldn't help but believe it. Any other explanation he could think of seemed illogical in comparison.

Hold on.. If this mushroom creature is the spirit I created, why am I possessing its body?...

This was the only question he couldn't really answer. Not yet at least.

Calming himself down, Soren mentally glanced in the direction of the old man who sat on the edge of the cliff, unfazed by the strange creature watching him from behind.

Since Soren couldn't control this mushroom creature's body, he had to rely on the old man to feed him information. And yet, it seemed he had grown reluctant to say anything more…

Come on! Just a few more sentences! How can you ignore a strange critter like me?! Don't you want to know what the hell I am, where I came from or what secrets I hold? Ask me another question already!...

He desperately needed to know the language as quickly as possible. But without any conversations to observe, [Eyes of the Fairy] was essentially useless. As it currently stands, Soren didn't even know the name of the language he needed to learn…

Despite his silent protest, it was clear from the start that the stranger had no way of hearing his pleas. What's more, this weird creature he was possessing seemed highly lacking in intelligence… Aside from twisting its body slightly, it had yet to even move an inch. Soren couldn't even hope to understand its motivations.

As he watched the old man sit there, gazing at the golden horizon from the cliff's edge in silence, Soren couldn't help but sigh. It became obvious that the stranger cared little about his predicament. In fact, he looked somewhat bored…

Is he waiting for death to arrive or something?! Fuck, you're making me bored too! He wanted to spit but remembered he couldn't even do that either…

After calming his nerves once again, Soren then thought of another idea.

What if I tried to use [Cards of Insight] to communicate with him?

After all, he was able to cast both [Eyes of the Fairy] and [Record] just moments ago to understand the old man's language. What's stopping him from using this ability as well?

Just as he was about to ponder over what information he should implant in the cards, the old man suddenly spoke again.

"The first Enlightened One in three thousand cycles. How strange—such a profound happenstance should fill me with far more hope and excitement. And yet…" He sighed softly, lowering his metallic headpiece.

Ignoring the melancholy in his voice, Soren latched onto a few interesting words. Enlightened One… Cycles? What is he referring to…

Although [Eyes of the Fairy] was able to translate the phrase, the actual context behind them was still lost on him.

Ignorant of Soren's inner thoughts, the old man continued, "Perhaps Ruò Níng was right. A heart without motivation is no different from a rock. Do I even deserve to be called a Venerable?" He let out a chuckle that suddenly turned into a heavy cough.

Soren, who was watching all of this unfold, couldn't help but feel perplexed.

Is this old man mentally ill or something? Who the hell monologues to a mushroom?.. He didn't know whether to feel amused or terrified by the stranger's insanity. But either way, he was grateful for his ravings—more words spoken meant more of the language learnt.

As he continued observing him, a strong feeling of apprehension and worry began to grow inside him… It was a similar feeling to his interactions with Mistress Solyara.

Whoever that man was, he was clearly dangerous. Soren rarely relies on solely his instincts, but this time, the feeling was far too clear. He decided not to use [Eyes of the Fairy] on him—unwilling to take the risk.

Sure enough, the cards are my final option now…

Ever since he awakened here, Soren has been feeling his anima slowly draining in silence. He wasn't certain how long he could maintain the cards for or how much willpower they now required, but he was certain that it likely wouldn't be as hard as before.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

After all, just like the rest of his abilities, [Cards of Insight] had also ascended to Rank 2.

After finally deciding on what information he should include on the cards, Soren cleared his mind and issued the mental command.

Staring at his own reflection in the small puddle, he noticed a change. The strange butterflies forming a halo over his mushroom head began to merge together, forming a golden plaque inscribed with mysterious symbols.

The plaque hovered in the air for a bit then got swept away by the passing wind. A strange chiming sound echoed in the air, alerting the old man to its presence.

"Oho? What's this?" He lifted his head slightly, eyeing the strange card. Sensing no danger, the old man reached out and grabbed it before it flew away.

Before he could observe it any further, the card suddenly broke apart and vanished, as if it had been absorbed into his body.

Although Soren was expecting him to panic, the old man's eyes remained calm and steady—aware it posed no harm at all.

After a few seconds, he noticed him smiling slightly, turning toward Soren.

"How interesting… Truly, one cannot be an Enlightened One without dabbling in the mystic arts first. What a peculiar way of communication."

It seems the message was received, he noted to himself in relief. What Soren had placed in that golden card was nothing more than a simple question:

"What is your name?"

The old man stroked his grayish beard and grinned. "My name is Hae Ryeong. Though, many of your kind refer to me as Venerable Heavenly Anchor—a very undeserving title in my opinion," he chuckled self-deprecatingly.

As Soren was about to reply with another [Card of Insight], he suddenly felt a wave of weakness wash over him. Am I running out of anima already?... He thought inwardly, deciding to pack more information in the next plaque.

With the mental command issued, another glowing card appeared over the mushroom creature which Venerable Hae swiftly picked up. The message in this one was far denser:

"Where am I? What is an Enlightened One? How did I get here?"

Absorbing the questions, the Heavenly Anchor replied promptly with a frown:

"How strange, you are different from the other Enlightened Ones…

"You are currently on Mount Danun, where benevolence and malevolence intertwine. Where destinies are severed and reforged… I am sure you've heard of the legends."

Soren's frown deepened. He must think I am from this world originally…

"As for the Enlightened Ones," Hae Ryeong cut through his thoughts, "that is what we call those who have gained awareness of their karmic destiny. Indeed, you are one such individual.

"As the guardian of Danun, I have met many of your kind. Some were naive, others cunning. But they all knew of their role in the cycle and what it must take to break it." He stroked his beard slowly before sighing, "As for how it is you got here, only you would know, heavens willing…"

This old man really loves talking… At first, Soren thought he was a recluse who found the world boring, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.

The isolation of being on this mountain must have driven him crazy… Or at least, desperate for more conversations.

Him not knowing how I came here confirms my theory in regards to [Worldsong Murmurs]... It seems giving form to the worldsong entails creating a spirit in the melody's original world. Since the Undying Coil belonged to this world, the spirit was therefore born here as well.

Then, more than likely, I will automatically return to [The Faerie Court] once the skill runs out of anima…

After coming to this conclusion, Soren decided to try and take some risks. Although he was unsure whether damage to this spirit-like creature would actually injure him, Soren was confident he could sever the connection at any moment. After all, since his current state was due to [Worldsong Murmurs], deactivating the skill should revert the changes.

Of course, there was also his rapidly depleting anima. Soren guessed it would likely deactivate the skill on its own the moment he ran out, but there was no way to fully know. He needed to gather more information and fast.

With these thoughts playing in his mind, Soren issued another message:

"I am not from this world. I arrived here accidentally."

Sending out the golden card, Soren nervously awaited the reply. He considered preparing to use his magecraft just in case it was needed, but quickly abandoned the idea. Sensing his strength, Soren was sure that if Venerable Hae really wanted to kill him, he would have done so already.

Trying to use his measly 2nd Circle spells will likely only agitate the old man, eliminating all hope of obtaining the answers he desires.

Suddenly, another thought flashed through his mind. Would my magecraft even work in this world?... His mind was left momentarily stunned.

After all, it was indeed a valid question… His 2nd Circle spellforms were crafted from material runes born in Yarian's Beyond. The Beyond in this world was entirely different, so the symbolic connection would cease to exist.

At least, in theory… Not even Mistress Solyara has faced such a dilemma. He would need to find an opportunity to test it out later.

"Not from this world?" Venerable Hae's words broke his reverie. "How could that be possible? You're truly not from Yeongwon?" The look of shock on his face was unmistakable.

Yeongwon? Is that the name of this world? This was the third or fourth time he had heard that word—Soren knew it couldn't be a coincidence.

Sensing his time running out, he hurried to create another [Card of Insight]:

"Indeed, I am not from Yeongwon. My connection to this realm is flimsy and will likely collapse soon."

Just as Hae Ryeong was about to reach for the newly created plaque, a massive creature swam through the air toward them. Sensing the danger, Venerable Hae paused then turned to face the golden horizon.

Seeing its colossal silhouette, Soren couldn't help but shudder in that moment. The gigantic beast closely resembled a whale with dragon-like scales covering its golden surface. Mysterious clouds were strung together around its fins, making it seem as if it were swimming through air. Its eyes were akin to bright flames that shimmered with anger and resentment.

What the hell is that?! He didn't know whether to feel afraid or in awe.

Seeing the monstrous creature swim closer and closer toward the cliff, Venerable Heavenly Anchor let out a sigh then stood up. It was only then that Soren noticed the strange weapon sitting next to him.

In his right hand, he held a bow shaped from an entire log, its wood bent savagely into a curve that should have splintered under its own stubborn grain. But even that wasn't the most ridiculous part. It was what sat on the string that baffled him most.

Not an arrow. Not even a spear…

He blinked twice, A damned harpoon?! Really?..

A steel-forged lance meant for skewering sea beasts and ships alike. As terrifying and absurd as it looked, Soren couldn't refute its use case in this exact situation.

As Hae Ryeong pulled tightly on the string, Soren felt a wave of pressure wrap around his fungal body—different from any anima he had felt before. The Venerable aimed the brutal bow toward the approaching beast then shook his head slightly.

"Another cycle passes once again…"

The second the old man let go of the string, Soren felt a strange tremor coming from his body. Before he could even process it, a vibrant white light flashed around him, turning his body weightless.

The ability… I ran out of anima?... That quickly?!...

Ignoring his frustrations, the vibrant white light suddenly shattered, scattering his consciousness with it.

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