After Alysha finished healing Ava Summerfield, my team and I split up. Alysha escorted the Summerfield siblings back to Little Portland. Rowan argued against this, saying he wanted to accompany me to save his friend. However, Alysha and I put our respective foots down. If the so-called witch was who I thought she was, bringing Rowan along would just make things more difficult.
Besides, Rowan and his sister were Second Rank Awakened. They didn't belong in the Danger Zone. Sure, my teammates and I were powerful enough to protect them, but the siblings' presence would slow us down.
That last part was enough to convince Rowan, though it was clear he was unhappy about it.
Logan volunteered to deal with the guild hunters. While we were tempted to just leave the group here and let some monsters get them, we decided to do the right thing and turn them in. Logan picked up all the guild hunters and heaved them over his shoulders, before accompanying Alysha and the others as they headed back to Little Portland.
This left me alone with Francis and Himiko. Together, the three of us headed towards Teacher's residence. The rest of the journey was uneventful. Other than the occasional monster attack, nothing of note happened.
I fought a few of the more powerful ones to test myself and see how much strength I had recovered. However, even in my current state, none of them were a match for me. All of them died in a single blow, including the Fourth Tier Monsters. When I realized this, I stopped and continued on my journey.
After traveling for a while, my teammates and I arrived at our destination. Teacher lived in a misty valley that looked like it belonged in an isolated mountain range. It was the kind of place where a reclusive hermit might live in order to ponder the mysteries of the universe.
To this day, I didn't know how Teacher found a place like this in the middle of a ruined city. Whenever I asked her, she just smirked and refused to answer. A part of me was convinced that she created it somehow, even though she was a martial artist and not a wizard. At her level, the boundary between possible and impossible became thin and fragile.
My teammates and I stood at the mouth of the valley. The mist was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a few feet into it. Off to the side stood a wooden sign. Written on the sign, in both English and Spirit Tongue, was a warning: Do Not Enter.
"Alright," I said. "You guys know the drill. Take off your disguise rings."
Teacher disliked dealing with people who wore disguise rings. She found it offensive. When I asked her why, she said she couldn't trust anyone whose very appearance was a lie.
I took off my disguise ring. Francis and Himiko followed suit. Afterwards, my teammates each took one of my hands before the three of us walked into the valley.
The moment we entered the mist, it muted all of our senses. It became impossible to perceive anything beyond a few inches in front of me. Hell, I found it difficult to keep track of Francis and Himiko, even though I was holding hands with both of them.
Needless to say, the mist also messed with my sense of direction. The exit was right behind us, just a few feet away, yet I already lost track of it. That was how powerful Teacher's mist was.
My teammates and I started walking. There wasn't any point in trying to navigate through the mist, we just walked in a random direction. Sooner or later, Teacher would come for us.
I didn't know how long we walked in that mist. It messed with our perception of time as well, making it difficult to keep track of how long it had been. It could've been a few minutes, or it could've been several hours. At the very least, I knew it had been less than a day.
All of a sudden, in the midst of all this, my intuition screamed that I was in danger. Without hesitation, I let go of my teammates' hands and dodged to the side. Less than a second later, a sword made of mist flew past me and disappeared from sight. If I hadn't moved, the mist sword would've pierced my shoulder.
While I avoided getting maimed, I had lost track of Francis and Himiko. I tried looking for them, since they should've been right next to me, to no avail. The mist had grown thicker, making it impossible to perceive almost anything beyond my own body.
"Damned shrew! What game are you playing?"
I shouted those words, but even to my own ears they sounded as soft as a whisper. Unfortunately, as soon as I finished speaking, my intuition warned me that I was in grave danger. Without hesitation, I used one of my more powerful techniques: [Evasive Mist].
Good thing too. Less than a second later, over a dozen mist swords attacked me from all angles, thrusting and slashing at me. However, thanks to [Evasive Mist], I managed to avoid all of them. Unlike [Elusive Mist], where I contorted my body at impossible angles to avoid attacks, with [Evasive Mist] my body became mist-like and semi-ethereal. Not only did this make it easier to avoid the mist swords, but even if one of them had hit me, it would've caused less damage.
Unfortunately, using this technique took a lot of mana. I could only maintain this state of being in short bursts, so I needed to time it when using it. That was the biggest downside to [Evasive Mist]. If I were in the middle of my own mist, I could maintain it for much longer. However, being inside Teacher's mist put me at a severe disadvantage.
"Is that how you treat your student?" I demanded, as if shouting into the void. "I come here, out of filial devotion, to see my dear teacher. And yet, you attack me almost as soon as I arrive." I wiped an imaginary tear out of my eye. "It's enough to make me cry."
I heard a snort. It seemed to come from all around me.
"Student?" Teacher said, her voice coming from both nowhere and everywhere. "What student? You're nothing more than a brat who intruded upon my domain. A truly filial student would've visited as soon as he woke up."
I rolled my eyes.
"I couldn't even stand on my own when I first woke up," I said. "You live in the middle of the Danger Zone. Did you expect me to crawl here while fighting the monsters that surround this place?"
"It would've been an entertaining sight."
I snorted.
"Just disperse this mist and reveal yourself," I said. "We need to talk." I paused. "Besides, it's been a while and I missed you."
Teacher didn't respond right away.
"Tell me something," she said. "What happened to you, Brandon? You're not wearing a disguise ring, but you're no longer the student I remember. You've changed, both inside and out."
I sighed.
"It's a long story," I said. "Why don't I tell it to you over tea?"
"Very well."
The mist thinned out, revealing Francis and Himiko, standing a few dozen feet away from me. The two of them looked a little worse for wear. Both sported minor injuries. Teacher must've "greeted" them as well.
"I see your teacher is as welcoming as always," Himiko said in an acerbic tone.
Francis shuddered.
"If I hadn't raised a barrier in time, those swords would've skewered me," he said, a haunted look in his eyes.
I shrugged.
"It's a training exercise," I said. "People rely too much on their senses. Learning to fight while handicapped in one or all of them is beneficial."
Honing my intuition had saved my life several times over the years.
"You say that, but I think your teacher just doesn't like other people," Himiko said.
"Oh, she's like people just fine," I said. "As long as they stay away from her."
Himiko rolled her eyes at that.
As we spoke, the mist continued to disperse. The entrance remained hidden, but the rest of the valley came into view. It wasn't large, but was more than enough for Teacher's purposes. A grassy meadow took up most of the valley, with a small stream running through the center. Tall hills marked the valley's boundaries. At the far end of the valley was a small waterfall that led into a pond. The stream originated from this pond. Near the bond stood a simple bamboo hut. Teacher's home.
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Teacher herself stood nearby. She looked much as I remembered her: a slender woman with fair skin, long black hair, and somewhat Asian features. She wore a set of blue and white robes with an ocean wave pattern on it. Even from this distance, I caught hints of her scent. She smelled of water and mist.
Teacher studied me with a cold expression on her face. That wasn't anything new. Teacher was… complicated. She was often cold and cruel, callous even. However, she was always there for me when I needed her. She taught me everything I knew, often putting me through hellish training to ensure that my skills were up to par. While she wasn't warm or affectionate, I knew she loved me in her own way. Her actions proved that.
Seeing Teacher before me now proved that she wasn't the woman I met in Eastwatch. In that case, who had I met? Why had that woman resembled Teacher so much? The way they looked, the way they sounded, etc. It was eerie. The woman in Eastwatch even practiced the Mist Sword style.
Thinking it through, I had some guesses. However, that just led to more questions. The most pressing of which being: what was that woman's relationship with Teacher? How did she know the Mist Sword style? That was what I came here to find out.
"Did you go through Body Rejuvenation?" Teacher asked. "Is that why you resemble… What do they call them here? Ah, yes. A pretty boy."
Francis and Himiko snickered.
"No," I said. "I… I'll be honest. I don't know how this happened or why. However, I believe it's related to what happened to me over the past few months."
Teacher raised an eyebrow at that.
"It seems that you have quite the story to tell," she said. "In that case, come with me. Let's talk over a cup of tea."
With that, she turned and started walking towards the bamboo hut. My teammates and I followed her.
"Why did we come here again?" Himiko muttered under her breath. "It's clear that Brandon's teacher doesn't want us here. She didn't even greet us. Besides, it's not like Brandon needed us to escort him. He could've traveled through the Danger Zone all on his own."
"Oh, simple," Francis said. "We're here to watch Brandon squirm while his teacher questions him."
"Ah, right."
I looked at the two of them in disbelief.
"That's why you came with me?" I asked. "For entertainment? I thought it was because you were worried about me."
Francis and Himiko shared a look.
"We are," Himiko said. "However, it's also entertaining to watch you interact with your teacher. No matter what, you two always end up fighting."
"We even have a bet to see how long it will take before you lose your temper and start calling her shrew," Francis said with an amused gleam in his eyes.
"Well, no need to keep wondering," I said in a haughty voice. "I said it as soon as she started attacking us with those mist swords."
Himiko pumped her fist in the air.
"Yes! I win!"
Francis, on the other hand, sighed with disappointment.
"Couldn't you have waited a few more minutes?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes at their antics before ignoring them. It didn't take us long to reach the bamboo hut. The interior was as simple as the exterior. Other than a futon on the floor, there wasn't much furniture. Teacher did have a few appliances and amenities, all powered by magic, though they were crude and simple compared to the ones we had back on Lumina. Still, I didn't say anything, to avoid coming across as a snobbish asshole.
Teacher started making tea. As she worked, she tossed an inventory ring towards me.
"Here," she said without looking in my direction. "Set the table while I brew the tea. Do it outside. The weather is beautiful today."
I nodded and headed outside. There was a lot of furniture inside the inventory ring. An excessive amount. Some appeared old and shabby, while others looked like they once belonged to royalty. They varied in style too. A few looked somewhat European, others came from First Murim, and so on. There were also all kinds of curtains, rugs, etc.
Before arriving on Earth, Teacher spent a long time traveling the cosmos. While I didn't exactly know how long, I knew that Teacher visited several different realms, each with its own culture(s). During her travels, she collected a lot of stuff. So much so that she used different inventory rings to organize it all.
I decided to go with a First Murim style. First I took a rug and set it on the ground, before I took a round wooden table and some cushions to sit upon, before placing them on the rug. A few minutes later, Teacher came outside carrying a tray with a tea set upon it. From the smell, I noticed that she decided to go with a type of green tea.
Teacher placed down four cups and a bowl, before she started pouring tea into all of them. I glanced at the bowl, before raising an eyebrow at her.
"This tea is good for the soul," she said. "It also benefits spirits. Bring the little one out, so she can join us."
Ah, Teacher must've noticed Aurora's presence as well. I asked my familiar if she wanted to join us. Aurora answered by emerging from my body and sitting up beside me. She regarded Teacher with wariness, but took the bowl and drank from it. I felt her contentment through our bond. Curious, I drank my own tea. As Teacher claimed, it was good for the soul. It filled me with a soothing warmth.
For the first few minutes, no one said anything. The five of us sat there and focused on drinking our tea. Well, except for Francis. He focused on the tea itself.
In addition to drinking it, Francis used his magic to test the tea and experiment with it, muttering under his breath the entire time. Aurora kept giving him curious looks, but the rest of us ignored him. We were used to his eccentricities.
"Now then," Teacher said a few minutes later. "Why don't you tell me what trouble you got yourself into this time?"
I opened my mouth to explain, but then Teacher raised a hand to forestall me.
"Don't leave anything out," she said. "I mean it. When you explain things, you have a bad habit of leaving certain details out."
I gave her a baffled look.
"I don't know what you mean," I said.
Teacher shared a look with Francis and Himiko.
"Just don't leave anything out," Teacher said.
I looked between the three of them in confusion, before I shrugged and started telling my story. However, I was only a few minutes into it when Teacher cut me off.
"See?" she said. "You're doing it now."
I gave her an annoyed look.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You mentioned that this Clan Thorne agreed to ally with your family, but you failed to mention why," Teacher said.
"I fail to see how that's relevant."
Teacher rolled her eyes at me, before looking at Francis and Himiko.
"Was he this bad when he told you this story?" she asked them.
Himiko snorted.
"He was worse," she said. "None of us realized until afterwards that he has a lover named Anna."
Teacher perked up at that.
"Truly?" She looked at me. "Do tell." She paused. "Wait, no. Finish your story first. We can talk about your love life afterwards."
I narrowed at her.
"Am I just a source of gossip and entertainment for you people?"
"Well, not just gossip and entertainment."
I sighed.
"I hate you so much right now."
Teacher snorted, before she gestured for me to continue. I resumed my story. Unlike before, when I first told my teammates, it took much longer this time around. This was because Teacher kept interrupting me, forcing me to bring up details that I didn't think were relevant or that I wanted to keep hidden.
This annoyed me so much that I snapped at Teacher and she snapped back. This went on for a little while, before the two of us ended up fighting. It wasn't a serious fight and we stopped a minute later. Of course, Teacher won. I ended up laying face down on the ground, my body aching all over. However, unlike with our usual fights, Teacher avoided hitting my face.
Afterwards, the two of us sat back down with the others and acted as if nothing had happened. Aurora gave me a concerned look.
"Is… Is this normal for these two?" she asked Francis and Himiko.
My teammates nodded.
"When Brandon and his teacher meet, they always end up fighting at least once," Francis said.
"Don't think about it too much," Himiko said. "The two of them just have a bizarre relationship."
I ignored them and resumed my story. By the time I finished, I felt wrung out and mentally exhausted. This interrogation reminded me of the time I told Kiki about the First Timeline. Why was Teacher so fixated on unimportant details?
Well, at least I managed to keep one thing a secret from Teacher. Not because I thought it was unimportant, but because I wanted to catch her off guard.
"I see," Teacher said when I finished. "This is an… interesting situation."
I glanced at her. I had known Teacher for a while now. While she appeared calm on the surface, I knew that deep down she was troubled. Troubled and… excited?
"Now it's your turn," I said. "You know who the other woman is, don't you? The one I met in Eastwatch?"
When I told that part of the story, Teacher's expression faltered for a fraction of a second. If I hadn't been looking for it, I wouldn't have seen it.
"What makes you say that?" Teacher asked.
I snorted.
"You created the Mist Sword style," I said. "The only way someone would know it is if you taught them." I paused. "Unless you have other students and they have students of their own."
"Tell me," Teacher said. "Who do you think the other woman is? In relation to you, that is. All the clues are there. You just need to put them together."
"My great grandmother, Sky Leone," I said. "I already knew that she practiced the Mist Sword style, and it makes sense for her to intervene to save my life." I leaned forward. "The only thing I don't know is why my great grandmother would look and act like you. Even if she were a former student of yours, the similarities wouldn't be so stark." I sighed. "You've never shared your history with me, and I've always respected that. However, I think it's time you stopped holding back."
Teacher didn't respond right away. Instead, she took a moment to sip her tea. Francis, Himiko, and Aurora sat off to the side, looking as if they were watching an entertaining show.
"You're right," Teacher said. "I suppose it's time to tell you the truth. At least some of it." She looked me right in the eyes. "Your great grandmother, Sky Leone, is my twin sister."