The first thing Nil sensed after getting teleported back to his ludus apartment was the sheer density of Qi in the air. The look of surprise and confusion on Selia's face suggested that she felt it too. He checked on the garden straight away and found all the plants in it neatly trimmed and pruned. Udit appeared to have maintained the space as requested. Nil had worried his father would damage the more precious plants or accidentally kill them.
When he left for the quest, the garden was a pretty but wild patch of ordinary-looking and wild plants. They grew haphazardly and almost on top of each other in places. Udit appeared to have replanted many of them, leaving the more mature, sturdier shrubs alone, but had replanted many saplings, spacing them out evenly. He had also brought up a pair of circular slabs and placed them next to each other in the center of the room.
“That’s sweet,” Selia commented as Nil looked around the garden.
The Qi was so thick it almost felt suffocating, reminding him of the first time he stepped into the crater, but not quite. It seemed the plants had somehow kept most of the energy trapped within the garden, and he was dealing with several weeks' worth of accumulated energy. It almost explained the density in the rest of the suite.
Meatball let out a happy chirp when Nil set her free, but she hesitated before speeding off. She skittered back and forth in and out of the garden room, sniffing at the air instead of returning to her domain. He struggled to understand the meaning behind her little squeaks and worried she was unhappy that someone had curated her wild patch. Then, she waddled to the door out of the suite, plopped down in front of it, and let out a final squeak.
“Is everything alright with her?” Selia asked.
“I don’t think so, but if it were urgent, she would’ve made it clear,” Nil answered. “How about we have a quick shower and change before heading down? I’d rather be clean when I see Baba and rip Emmy a new one.”
“Go easy on her. She finally has a taste of social and financial freedom and is just flexing her muscles. As long as she doesn’t do anything crazy—”
“Trying out for Apocalypse Arena when she is barely eighteen is crazy. I don’t care that there are others like her. I know my sister, and she isn’t ready for the ruthlessness needed to survive and succeed.”
“I understand and sympathize, Nil, but you need to see things from her point of view. Her life got turned upside down when you became a Summoned and then started working for the Nexus. Now, you’re risking your life and doing whatever is necessary to make things better for your family. Emily probably felt hopeless, restless, and useless. Then, all of a sudden, she became a Summoned and got a fairly useful ability. It might be better if you take her under your wing and guide her.”
“You’re probably right.” Nil sighed, getting undressed. He started the shower. Selia reached past him and switched it to the rain setting, making the downpour more suitable for two occupants. “Emmy will be more willing to listen if she thinks I’m on her side. What are you going to do about Susan?”
“Do you expect me to do anything?” Selia raised an eyebrow, getting in the shower ahead of him while Nil swiftly ran an electric razor over his face. He had settled for maintaining a neatly trimmed beard on Ashe Fall after failing to figure out their strange magical face trimmers. “I’ve not done anything wrong. She’s acting nuts over nothing.”
“No, but Andrew is my best friend, and both our lives would be easier if our girlfriends got along,” Nil replied. After achieving a Body of Bronze, his facial hair had become more stubborn. The electric razor failed enough to do a good enough job, and he had to resort to shaving cream and a blade. After ascending to Silver, he would have no choice but to invest in an aethertech facial trimmer. “You’re not at fault. I get that. You did your job, and we all knew what that meant before the quest started—except the killing a ruler of a Control World thing.”
“It's not like I did it personally. I distracted guards who happened to be Scourge champions in disguise and then took them out. My actions made it easier for a pair of Immortals to do their job unnoticed and without a trace, but that’s it. If Susan doesn’t chill out and see the light in a week or two, I’ll talk to her. Working with Andrew means there is no avoiding her.” Selia laughed when Nil joined her in the shower and almost slipped. “How can you go from the most surefooted sprinter ever to so clumsy at the drop of a hat?”
“I’m exhausted, and you’ve spilled soap everywhere.”
“I squeezed too hard.” Selia giggled, throwing Nil the shampoo. Despite his claims of fatigue, he snatched the slippery bottle out of the air almost on reflex. “Body of Silver will take some getting used to.”
“Did you ascend with Might as a prime attribute?”
Selia shook her head. Her long black hair now hung down to her waist. Ascension seemed to have darkened her locks further and given them a luster Nil didn’t think possible without digital editing. “Finesse, but my Might is Bronze-Five. Ascension seems to have made it more effective, though.”
Nil took a step back and looked his girlfriend up and down. “Silver has done wonders for you.”
“Oh, yeah?” Selia struck a provocative, glamor model pose. “Silver Finesse has also made me pretty damn flexible. Would you like a demonstration?”
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“We can go to the training room after catching up with Baba and—”
“That’s not what I meant, you clueless idiot.” Selia’s giggle turned into a laugh. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” Nil said.
“No spikes!” Nil warned when he opened the suite's door. Meatball had waited patiently and rolled free. She twitched the woody tentacles that formed her carapace to adjust direction and manage her speed.
Much to the couple’s surprise, the energy density continued into the corridor. They saw nothing different along it or around the elevator and stairwell. Things were the same in the lobby except for energy density. Then they exited the building, and their jaws dropped. Luminous plants bordered the obstacle course, running track, and also the relaxation green patch. Qi was thick in the air, and Nil could sense a barrier around the Forge containing it all.
Meatball rolled to a cluster of colorful lights. Before Nil could stop her, she dug a deep hole amongst the plants, crawled into it, and then buried herself. He left her to it. There wasn’t much he could do about the situation. Either the Nexus would demand all of the alien flora be culled, or they’d turn a blind eye and let the Forge keep its magic. There were already wards and barriers keeping technology and materials inside. Nil imagined it would treat the plants the same as other alien substances and keep them from spreading beyond the compound.
“What the fuck happened here?” Selia whistled, scanning his surroundings. Her recent training, combined with several detection spells, put her detection spells on par with Nil’s.
“I might have a rough idea.”
Nil made a beeline for the staff building. Potted plants decorated the cafeteria and the lobby. After Emily had become a Summoned, rules surrounding access to the civilian building had changed. Now, individuals with family working in the ludus and their partners could visit. There were limits on frequency and sleeping over, but it was a welcome change. Nil wasn’t the only Nexus agent who had found jobs for their family in the compound. Many took on Earth-side quests, which made them and their loved ones targets for more malicious individuals or organizations.
The Roy family lived on the top floor in a two-and-a-half-bedroom apartment. The half-bedroom originally belonged to Sam. He picked it over sharing a bedroom and insisted he have the smaller private space. Now that Emily had moved on to independent accommodation on the ground floor of the Summoned residences, he had taken over her old space. Nil had expected as much. What he didn’t foresee was luminous plants and flowers decorating every corner of their space.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” Udit asked, looking proud of himself.
“I don’t think you realize what you’ve done, Baba,” Nil said, struggling to find the right words. He didn’t know how to explain to his father that he had almost caused a major ecological disaster with the potential to change the planet’s trajectory and development. “The garden…”
The oldest Roy appeared confused. “I did as you requested. Things kept getting in the way, and it was a month after you left that I checked the garden. It was so overgrown I could barely take a step past the door. So I trimmed, took cuttings, and replanted a lot of them, but things got out of hand, so I thought it might be better to decorate the grounds and the buildings.” He frowned, eyes scanning all the pretty, luminous, blooming plants around the living room. “None of them were poisonous, were they?”
“No.” Nil sighed. “But they’re all plants with alchemical properties or radiate different kinds of alien energies. None of them are harmful.”
Emily silently entered the apartment. She hesitantly glanced between Selia, her brother, and her father before disappearing into the kitchen.
“Probably best if no one eats them,” Selia said. “The products made from them are controlled and taken in moderation to avoid adverse effects.”
“They’re supposed to help with the meditation process and help me get stronger,” Nil said. “You didn’t dump anything outside the compound, did you?”
“I tried, but it all got teleported to the workshop’s underground compost corner. I guessed the Forge wanted me to be more green.”
“That’s somewhat of a relief. Send a message to Layla with what’s happened and images. She’ll advise us on how to proceed. It might turn out for the best for everyone in the Forge.”
“As long as they learn to cultivate or know mana absorption and circulation,” Selia added.
“Cultivation?” Sam asked, perking up. The young teenager hadn’t greeted Nil when he arrived; he only nodded awkwardly and lingered by the door to his room. Sam appeared broody. It wasn’t unexpected for a teenager. Nil had observed the change before leaving and believed Emily’s ascension had something to do with it. “Like in the Chinese novels?”
Nil nodded. “Some worlds have dense enough energy for people to have developed cultivation.” He was glad Sammy was willing to speak to him. “Turns out the power seeds, Schema Tokens, are just the Nexus’s way of helping us barren world residents cultivate.” Nil’s attention shifted to Emily as she exited the kitchen sheepishly. She appeared to expect a reprimand from him for attempting Iron Gauntlet qualifiers. “I can teach you some meditation and cultivation techniques if you’d like. It could help with your energy pool and focus and should also accelerate ability and attribute growth.”
“You’re not going to yell at me?” Emily’s eyes widened. She almost appeared comical.
“I’m sure Baba has yelled at you enough over the past few days for me, Mum, all of our grandparents and past ancestors,” Nil said. “I know neither of us are going to change your mind. I’d rather ensure you come out in one piece and suffer minimal injury. The arena is a terrifying place, and I’ll sleep better knowing you’re as prepared as you can be.”
Emily rushed to the couch, dropped next to her brother, and hugged him tightly. “Thank you. I love you so much.”
Udit looked like he was about to protest. He stopped, shoulders drooping. “I’ll call the cafe and have them send up some dinner.”
Sam perked up once Udit left the room, moved closer to the Summoned, and spoke softly. “Can you teach me too? I want to be ready in case I become a Summoned someday.”
“I suppose there is no harm in it.” Nil sighed.
“Might be good to also pick up a martial art,” Selia added. “It’ll help with focus and discipline.”
“I’ve been taking karate lessons,” Sam whispered. “Don’t tell Baba.”
“He’s the manager of this place, you dolt.” Emily chuckled. “Baba already knows.”
“The world is going to get more dangerous before it gets better,” Nil said. “Summoned or not, all of us should prepare for the worst.”
