Chương 226: Time Loop & Soul Bonds

The forest around me suddenly felt too quiet, as if the world itself was holding its breath. I leaned against a nearby tree trunk, the rusty sword I'd been clutching felt heavier in my hand as I tried to process Azure's words.

"Not vanished entirely," he clarified.

"The soul bond remains intact. I can still detect Yggy's presence, but it's... elsewhere." I closed my eyes, focusing inward. My inner world appeared as I'd shaped it: the mountains to the northwest, garden quadrant to the northeast, open spaces to the southeast, and meditation plateaus to the southwest. The Genesis Seed stood at the center, its roots spreading throughout all quadrants, anchoring everything. The red and blue suns remained hidden beneath the tree's massive canopy, just as I'd arranged them.

But no sign of the vine-like being that had become such an unexpected companion.

"You're right," I muttered, opening my eyes.

"I can still feel our connection, but it's... distant. Different." Focusing on that connection, I reached out mentally, trying to sense Yggy's current state. Almost immediately, a series of disjointed images flooded my mind: flashes of wooden shelves lined with bottles, scattered papers covered in runic symbols, complex apparatus made of crystal and metal. And sunlight, red sunlight, filtering through high windows into a cluttered space filled with plants and curious contraptions.

"Elder Molric's laboratory," I breathed.

"Yggy's in Elder Molric's laboratory." Azure was quiet for a moment, processing this revelation.

"It appears the time loop has restored Yggy to its original location while maintaining your soul bond." I nodded slowly, piecing together the implications.

"The loop reset everyone and everything to their starting positions, including Yggy. But since our soul bond transcends the loop..."

"The connection remains intact despite the spatial separation." Testing this theory, I reached inward again, focusing on the soul bond. I could sense that I could pull on it, drawing Yggy back into my inner world if I chose. The connection felt taut but unbroken, like an invisible thread stretching across impossible distance.

"I could summon Yggy back if I need to," I said, straightening from the tree.

"But maybe this is for the best."

"How so, Master?" I resumed walking, heading northward toward the stream Azure had mentioned earlier. My throat felt parched, and the thought of cool water was suddenly all-consuming.

"If we're going to infiltrate the Blue Sun Academy, having Yggy with us could make things more difficult," I explained.

"Its energy signature is a mixture of red sun and blue sun but primarily tied to the red sun, and after what happened with Vayara in that previous loop..." I shuddered at the memory of ice shards tearing through my chest.

"Well, I'd rather not risk revealing anything unusual."

"Also, Yggy's presence in Elder Molric's laboratory provides us with an unexpected advantage," Azure added.

"A window into the Red Sun Academy." He wasn't wrong. Through our soul bond, I could potentially glimpse events at the Red Academy through Yggy's eyes. Information that could prove invaluable, especially given the impending attack we'd witnessed in our previous loop.

"Not to mention," I continued softly, "Yggy was devastated when Elder Molric died. This way, it gets to spend more time with him." The thought of the eccentric elder brought a mix of emotions. Molric was brilliant in his own chaotic way, pioneering theories about dual-sun cultivation that others dismissed as heresy. He'd created Yggy as an experiment, never expecting it to develop the personality and attachment it had shown. I pushed through a thicket of brambles, wincing as thorns caught on my simple clothing.

This mortal body felt so fragile compared to my cultivator form, every scratch and scrape registering with annoying intensity. The sound of running water reached my ears, growing louder as I made my way forward. Within minutes, I broke through the underbrush to find the stream Azure had mentioned, a clear, swift-flowing channel about six feet across, cutting through the forest floor. I dropped to my knees at the water's edge, cupping my hands to drink greedily.

The water was cold and sweet, washing away the dust and fear of the morning's events. After slaking my thirst, I splashed my face and neck, the cool water reviving my exhausted body.

"We should take stock of our situation," I said, sitting back on my heels.

"Assets and liabilities."

"Assets," Azure began.

"One, your knowledge of future events from previous loops. Two, your cultivation techniques, though limited by this body's capabilities. Three, your connection to Yggy, providing potential intelligence on the Red Sun Academy. Four, the rusty sword, though of questionable value given its condition." I glanced at the weapon lying beside me on the bank. The blade was notched in several places after its encounter with the Sun-touched's dense skin.

"And liabilities?" I prompted, already knowing the answer would be longer.

"One, your current physical form lacks cultivation training. Two, no provisions or proper equipment for extended travel. Three, potential pursuit from raiders or Skybound. Four, limited spiritual essence reserves. Five, your appearance marks you as a villager, which may complicate interactions in more developed areas. Six, no currency or valuables for trade." I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"When you put it like that, it sounds rather hopeless."

"I merely present the facts, Master. The situation is challenging but far from hopeless." I allowed myself a wry smile. Azure always had a way of stating things plainly without sugarcoating, yet somehow remaining encouraging.

"Well, we should address what we can," I said, pushing myself to my feet.

"Starting with spiritual essence reserves." I moved to a flat rock beside the stream, sitting cross-legged in a meditation posture. Closing my eyes, I directed my awareness inward, assessing my current essence levels. Soul Essence: 80/104(Converting) Spiritual Essence: 10/85 Physical Essence: 10/45 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Time for some conversion," I murmured, initiating the Tri-Essence Harmony technique. I began directing a portion of my soul essence along familiar pathways, transforming it into the spiritual energy I desperately needed. The process was like carefully pouring water from one vessel to another, requiring precision and control to avoid spillage.

Soul Essence: 60/104(Converting) Spiritual Essence: 25/85 (Temporary increase) Physical Essence: 10/45"I should convert some to physical essence as well," I decided, redirecting a portion of the flow.

"This body feels like it might collapse at any moment. Soul Essence: 55/104(Converting) Spiritual Essence: 20/85 (Temporary increase) Physical Essence: 13/45 Perhaps due to only converting a small amount, the infusion process wasn't as an agonizing process like the previous times. My muscles relaxed, the burning fatigue subsiding to a manageable ache. The physical changes were subtle, Tomas's body had shifted from that of an ordinary village boy to something leaner and more athletic, still well within human limits.

It wasn't much, but it had to be enough. After all, I couldn't afford to create suspicion before even stepping foot inside in the Blue Sun Academy.

"How far to Hyelin City from here?" I asked, rising from the rock.

"Approximately two days' journey at a steady pace," Azure replied.

"However, there is a smaller settlement, more of a trading post, that we might reach by nightfall if we maintain good progress." That was encouraging news. A trading post meant people, possibly information, and if I was lucky, some way to acquire supplies.

"Let's aim for that, then," I decided, picking up the rusty sword and continuing northward, following the stream.

"We can fill in some gaps in our knowledge before reaching Hyelin." As I walked, I kept part of my awareness extended toward my connection with Yggy, curious about what it might be experiencing. More fragmented images came through—Elder Molric's hands adjusting something on a workbench, a flash of red light as he activated a rune, the trembling excitement Yggy felt at being near its creator again. The emotional echo of that last impression gave me pause.

Yggy's attachment to Elder Molric went beyond simple creator and creation. There was genuine affection there, almost like a child for a parent. To me Yggy meant a lot, but I wondered if Molric recognized that bond, or if he saw Yggy as merely another experiment among many.

The forest began to thin as morning gave way to midday, the canopy opening to reveal patches of sky where both suns blazed overhead. The red sun dominated, as always during daylight hours, its crimson light bathing everything in a bloody glow. The blue sun was visible only as a faint cerulean disk, seemingly diminished beside its more aggressive counterpart. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me of another pressing concern.

"We need food," I muttered.

"There are several edible plants within view," Azure offered.

"To your left, those red berries are non-toxic and reasonably nutritious. Ahead about twenty paces, wild onions are growing near that fallen log. And with the stream nearby, fishing would be possible if we fashioned a simple spear." I spent the next hour gathering what food I could, berries, wild onions, and even a few small fish that I managed to spear using a sharpened stick. It wasn't much of a meal by cultivator standards, but it would keep this mortal body functioning.

After I finished eating, I resumed walking, following the stream as it wound its way northward.

"What's Hyelin City like?" I asked, partly out of genuine curiosity and partly to distract myself from the growing fatigue.

"According to Tomas's memories, it's one of the larger settlements in the region," Azure replied.

"A walled city with perhaps twenty thousand inhabitants. It serves as a trade hub for surrounding villages and has a permanent garrison to defend against raiders."

"And its stance on Lightweavers?"

"Officially supportive, like most cities. They maintain a temple dedicated to the blue sun and provide tribute to the Blue Sun Academy. However, as with many places, the common people's views are more varied. Some worship the blue sun out of genuine devotion, others out of fear or pragmatism." That was useful information.

Cities large enough to maintain independence often had more complex relationships with the dominant powers than small villages, which typically existed at the mercy of whoever controlled the region.

"And the red sun? Is there any official acknowledgment of it?" Azure hesitated before answering.

"Not officially, no. Public worship of the red sun is discouraged, though not explicitly forbidden as it is in some regions." As the day wore on, the forest gradually gave way to more open terrain, rolling hills dotted with stands of trees and meadows filled with waist-high grass. Ahead, I could make out what appeared to be a dirt road cutting across the landscape.

"That would be the trade road between Hyelin and the southern villages," Azure confirmed when I pointed it out.

"Following it would be the most direct route to the trading post."

"But also the most exposed," I noted with a frown.

"Anyone traveling the road would see us clearly."

"True. Though at this point, being seen may be less dangerous than continued isolation without proper supplies." I considered our options. The road offered faster travel and increased chances of reaching shelter before nightfall. But it also meant potentially encountering other travelers, or worse, raiders using the road to move between targets. After a few moments, I made my decision, I headed towards the road.

The transition from forest to open country left me feeling vulnerable after hours under the protective canopy. Both suns beat down mercilessly, and I found myself missing the shade almost immediately. The road itself was simple but well-maintained, packed dirt with shallow drainage ditches on either side and occasional stone markers indicating distances. According to the nearest marker, Hyelin City was still twenty-eight miles away, confirming Azure's estimate of a two-day journey.

I had been walking along the road for perhaps an hour when Azure's warning came.

"Master, we have company."