The return journey from the city to Stormfall Corridor took two days.
The fierce storms of the Corridor still rumbled faintly behind him, their distant flashes painting the sky in ghostly silver. Yet, the wilderness that had once roared with beasts and chaotic qi distortion now seemed strangely calm.
Too calm.
No minor predators stalked him. No demon beasts followed his trail. Even the wind felt muted, as if the land itself was holding its breath.
Karma moved in silence, his steps light but his thoughts heavy. Every breath brought the faint taste of ozone. Every heartbeat echoed with a profound, resonant power that hadn't belonged to him before—a power that was still not entirely his own.
Echoes of Two Lotuses
He stopped by a fallen stone arch, its intricate carvings half-buried under moss. The land here felt quiet, safe enough to risk a moment of deeper cultivation.
He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. "Mira, internal status."
Life signs are stable. Qi circulation is normal, his system reported instantly. However, your internal energy composition has shifted again, Host. Significantly.
"Shifted how?"
Forty-one percent of your Devour core now shows interference from external essence—specifically, that black lotus you decided to inhale.
Karma chuckled faintly, a dry, self-mocking sound. "Decided is generous."
You literally said, 'Let's see what happens,' and then voluntarily exposed yourself to primal chaos. I define that as a conscious, albeit insane, decision.
Ignoring her sarcasm, Karma took a deep breath and let his awareness sink inward.
The world faded, and he entered the luminous void of his consciousness.
At its center floated the crystalline lotus—the core he had absorbed in the ancient pagoda. It gleamed softly, each petal translucent, spinning slowly in rhythm with his heartbeat. But now, one of the petals was fundamentally different.
It had turned a pure, absolute black, streaked with brilliant silver veins that pulsed faintly like lightning through obsidian glass.
Karma's breath hitched, awe mixing with unease. "So the black lotus didn't vanish… it fused with the core."
Exactly. What you absorbed didn't dissolve—it integrated. The crystalline lotus seems to be acting as an adaptive core and containment field. That black essence would have instantly vaporized your existing meridians otherwise.
He stared at the dual-colored lotus. "Then the crystalline one… it isn't just a spiritual relic. It's alive, or at least highly adaptive."
It is reacting to protect itself and you. Think of it as a central harmonizer. Every major, destructive energy signature you absorb is being recorded and balanced there. But the black petal's behavior is dangerously unpredictable.
He frowned, focusing his will on the darker half. "If that essence ever spreads unchecked, your internal qi balance could collapse. Or, what is far more likely, mutate violently."
"But it's not hostile right now," he observed.
Not yet. It's dormant because the crystalline green energy—whatever that first lotus truly is—has completely tamed it. Like lightning in a cage, it is neutralized for now.
Karma studied the slowly rotating flower. The green and black lights reflected in his awareness like twin flames. "Maybe that's why I survived both times. The first lotus gave me a vessel to contain chaos."
You are starting to sound like you're grateful to your parasites.
"Maybe I am," he said softly. "Every near-death left me stronger. And perhaps… the world doesn't give true power unless you take it by reckless force."
The lotus pulsed faintly, as if in agreement.
The Quiet Between Predators
When he returned to the waking world, dusk had fallen, the sky blazing orange before fading into indigo.
He stood, stretching the soreness from his muscles, and began walking again. The oppressive silence around him persisted.
He had passed through the mapped territories of three distinct groups of powerful beasts—Void Realm drakes, a cluster of Core Formation manticores, and something large enough to reshape hills—and yet not one had shown itself.
He frowned. "Still nothing. Mira, run a detailed scan."
Scanning… confirmed. Beasts are present within range but actively keeping distance. They are changing course and moving away from your current vector.
Karma glanced toward the distant treeline where faint, amber eyes sometimes gleamed, only to vanish moments later. "It's the lotus, isn't it? When I found the crystalline one in that pagoda, there were no beasts either. It repels them."
Hypothesis rejected,Mira stated firmly. Cross-reference with your own aura evolution. Since the black lotus fusion, your Devour energy has drastically changed its frequency. It now emits a low-band resonance that precisely mimics the spiritual signature of apex, territorial predators.
Translation: the monsters think you're one of them, Host.
Karma blinked, the implication sinking in. "So… they're afraid of me?"
Or cautious. Same effective result. You are essentially a walking apex storm signal. Every lesser creature feels instinctive dread and avoids conflict when you pass.
He smirked, a genuine flicker of wicked amusement. "That is incredibly useful."
Until something smarter than you decides to challenge the throne.
He laughed quietly, the sound echoing in the strange silence. "Then we'll see who survives the trial."
That extreme overconfidence will get you killed one day, Host.
"Maybe. But not today."
They continued their easy, competitive banter until Mira suddenly went silent, her internal sensors spiking.
…Wait. Host, hold your position.
Karma instantly halted, his body tensing, the amusement gone. "What is it?"
Movement. Fast. Large mass approaching from the ridge—directly ahead. Definitely not retreating.
The ground beneath his boots trembled, the impact heavy and rhythmic.
A shadow burst from the treeline, tearing through dust and foliage. It was a beast unlike any he had seen—four-legged, sleek, and powerfully built, covered in scales that shimmered like liquid steel. Its head bore a jagged crown of bone, and its eyes glowed a deep, malevolent amber.
"Magma Horned Drake," Karma muttered, recognizing the dangerous species from a rare spiritual bestiary. "Why is a Nascent Soul Realm beast still here? It should have ran away to the far west just like the Void Realm beasts did because of the previous battle."
Guess it didn't get the memo of fear,Mira supplied, her sensors focusing entirely on the imminent threat. Or it's smart enough to know a newly crowned king when it smells one.