Veil of Aether

Watching his master spasming on the floor, eyes rolled back and mouth frothing, Kei Y felt helpless as her illusion unraveled—the familiar visage of The Vendor melting away to reveal Auserre’s true appearance beneath. Even with Pristine Aether reinforcing his Healing Force, it wasn’t enough. The pulses of energy flowed into her body… and disappeared. No reaction. No stabilization. Nothing.

Whatever shock she had experienced—it wasn’t something that could be mended with raw power.

“Probably due to our cultivation gap,” he muttered, teeth clenched. “My aether isn’t strong enough to interface with her internal network properly… It’s just washing over her without sinking in.”

Her limbs twitched again. A violent shudder rolled through her torso. Kei Y’s breath quickened.

“She’s convulsing harder now… too fast.”

His eyes scanned her trembling form, pupils darting from her temples to her chest, then her abdomen. Each breath she took was more shallow than the last—ragged gasps that didn’t quite fill her lungs.

“And I don’t have any machines here… no diagnostics, no imaging. Can’t even peek inside her to find out where the problem is.” He raked a hand through his hair, frustration and helplessness bleeding through his tone. “No scanner, no neural readout, no defibrillation pad, no damn tools.”

“I don’t even know how to get out of this place,” he grumbled. “She’s the one who always brings us in… no exit signs, no doors—what kind of secret area has no bloody exits?” His gaze darted around the room in vain. “Even The Vendor guy comes and goes whenever he likes. Does she likes him more than us? Really? We’re at least an infinite times cuter than that guy.”

He sighed sharply, shaking his head. “Whatever. I’ve got no choice—I’ll have to brute-force a solution. Her vitals are dropping.”

For a brief second, he felt the cold edge of panic claw at the edges of his chest.

Then he shook his head, hard. “No. Focus.”

She didn’t have time for him to break.

“Two main systems likely affected: neurological or cardiac. Could be both. A brain spike like that… pupils blown, frothing mouth—seizure? Neural overload? If it’s the brain, maybe a shorted synaptic channel—feedback loop from Force circuits?”

His hand hovered above her chest, not yet moving to touch. “And if it’s cardiac? Her heart’s not failing, but her rhythm’s off. It’s not consistent.”

He ground his heel against the stone floor, thinking rapidly. “If I can’t analyze her internally, I’ll have to assume where the damage is. And if her body’s this advanced, maybe it’s a Force circuit breakdown—like crosswired aether channels between her brainstem and heart.”

Kei clenched his fists.

“I can’t wait around. Either I try something now, or I lose her.”

With a snap of his fingers, he etched wind and fire rune strokes in tandem, sending a sterile heat pulse around the room. Air currents spiraled into a tight dome, forming a makeshift operating barrier around them.

“Not the cleanest… but she’s tough. Her cultivation should fend off minor contaminants. Hopefully…”

His gaze steeled. “No room for mistakes.”

He glanced through his inventory, eyes landing on on the contents. None of them were surgical instruments.

“I don’t have much I can work with. I’ll have to improvise… or create something.”

“Wait. Wind is sharp, isn’t it?”

His expression hardened. “My Force progression’s high enough… I should be able to shape the edge of wind itself. If I can embody the sharpest aspect of wind, I might not need a scalpel at all.”

Kei Y narrowed his eyes, visualizing the clean slice of a breeze across skin. A scalpel forged not of steel, but of Creation Force, powered by Pristine Aether—shaped with the edge of wind itself.

“It doesn’t have to be perfect,” he murmured. “Just clean enough to make the incision.”

The air shimmered as his fingers delicately traced runes through it—fine, almost imperceptible symbols that he could manifest. The runes converged into a thin, translucent blade, flickering with pale green light as it stabilized in his hand. The scalpel hummed with barely-contained sharpness, its edge fine enough to split threads of aether midair.

He crouched beside Auserre, heart pounding faster than he wanted to admit. Sweat slicked his brow, not from exertion—but from the gravity of what he was about to do, and the drain on his aether reserves from using Creation Force.

He positioned the scalpel just above her sternum, eyes scanning for any signs of breathing irregularity or cardiac arrest. The spasms had slowed, but her pupils were still dilated, limbs twitching erratically. He closed his eyes briefly, visualizing her anatomy based on the medical schematics he remembered from Earth, overlaid with the subtle energy flow patterns he’d studied from examining his own body.

“First incision… shallow cut. Just enough to access the chest cavity—any deeper and I risk nicking the heart.”

With surgical control, he guided the aether-scalpel down in a precise line along her skin.

But once again, another issue reared its head—her natural defenses.

Auserre’s body, reinforced by countless cultivation realms, was an unbreakable fortress to someone like Kei Y. Her skin didn’t just resist his blade—it outright refused to acknowledge it. No matter how clean his aether scalpel was, no matter how refined he made the wind’s edge or how much Pristine Aether he poured in to amplify the sharpness—it was like trying to slice a mountain with a feather.

Each attempt dulled faster than the last. His hands trembled not from doubt, but from exhaustion. The scalpel shattered mid-air, dispersing into glimmers of harmless breeze.

Still, Kei kept trying.

He adjusted the angle. Increased the heat. Pushed more Pristine Aether into it than he ever had before. It began to bite into his reserves—dangerously so.

Nothing.

Her skin didn’t even bruise.

And finally, with one last surge of Aether sputtering out, Kei’s legs buckled beneath him. His vision blurred. The sterile wind barrier dissolved. He collapsed face-first—right on top of Auserre’s still-trembling body.

"...I tried," he murmured into her shoulder, his voice dry, weak. “I really tried. If it’s your time to go… who am I to interfere with your fate?”

His body ached. Muscles twitched involuntarily. A dull pain rang in his chest with every breath. But he didn’t move.

“Maybe if Inpu were here,” he whispered, voice hoarse, “he could shift your fortune. Tilt the scales a bit. But even then, I doubt it’d work.”

He rested there, face against her, too drained to rise. His words were gentle now—accepting.

“Rest well. I’m sure your life’s been nothing but turmoil… it’s okay to sleep if you’re tired.”

He closed his eyes.

Although the situation may not be appropriate, he couldn't help but submerge himself in her embrace.

"Not an ideal moment, but this must be what a mother's embrace feels like." He thought to himself.

Healing Force had failed.

Surgery wasn’t possible.

He had no machines, no knowledge of how to stabilize someone of her realm. Not even a basic emergency escape route. Just a locked space with a dying woman who may have been his only teacher… and a barely functioning body on top of hers.

A moment passed.

And then, despite himself, Kei Y cracked open one eye and muttered:

“What about you? You did this.”

His gaze flicked to the still-blinking [He Who Denies Fate] title above him.

No reply.

“Figured as much.” His tone was flat. “Thanks for nothing.”

The title sparkled faintly.

Because of course it did.

“Well, Master… even in your last moments, you helped me gain insight into the sharpness of wind,” Kei Y said as he gathered ambient aether above his palm, shaping it into a concentrated gale of slicing wind.

He sent it gliding over to one of the nearby bodies of water. It tore through the surface with a clean, graceful cut, splitting the ripples like silk.

“Neat, huh… Hm. Maybe that could work. Not like I’ve got a lot of options left,” he muttered.

He pulled out an aether potion, popped it open, and drank deeply. As the familiar warmth spread through his limbs, he stretched slightly, feeling a bit of strength return to his drained body.

With a grunt, Kei Y bent down and scooped his unconscious master into his arms. “Good thing you’re not heavy,” he said, carefully carrying her over to the koi pond. “Alright… let’s hope a little water shock brings you back.”

SPLASH.

“If this doesn’t work, I’m gonna look real stupid…”

She hit the water with a resounding slap, limbs slack as the koi fish approached. Her soaked robes clung tightly to her figure, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Kei Y blinked.

Then blinked again.

He didn’t move.

It was a sight most people would kill for—an image so scandalously ethereal that even Divine Realm experts would’ve sold off their entire treasure troves just to catch a glimpse.

He scratched the back of his neck, eyes still very much not looking away. “It’s a good thing I’m a loyal man—well, kid—to Lisa…”

He paused.

Then nodded to himself solemnly.

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“It’s even better that I have a photographic memory. I’ll never forget this.”

A slow, deeply internal grin formed across his face.

Lewdly.

While her body floated in the water, still spasming, the koi fish came by and swam around as if trying to comfort her.

"You guys are nice, trying to help," Kei Y muttered, glancing at the koi lazily circling the pond. But the thing he actually hoped for still hadn’t happened, and that made him sigh.

Then, the room shifted. A ripple pulsed through the walls—and a door suddenly opened.

Kei Y froze.

Without thinking, he snapped his fingers and activated his Glacial Force. The water around Auserre's body instantly solidified into a thick, opaque block of ice, obscuring her figure completely.

A voice followed the breeze of entry.

"Huh. You're still here?" The Vendor stepped into the room, his gaze falling on the boy by the frozen pond. "The tournament’s moving quickly. Sanu and Kei just finished their five matches. Mia and Inpu still have theirs to go."

He stepped closer, eyes drifting to the water—then narrowing at the unconscious figure sealed inside the ice.

"Where’s Master?" he asked, glancing back at Kei Y, who looked every bit the guilty child caught red-handed.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

"Uhhhhh… well…" Kei Y scratched the back of his neck. “Master was disappointed I disobeyed her. So she brought me here. I explained my reasons, and she forgave me-ish. But then… she suddenly fainted. Her eyes rolled back, she started foaming at the mouth…”

He gestured vaguely at the pond. “I tried using Healing Force, but it didn’t work, so I panicked and threw her into the water, hoping it would help. And now… you’re here.”

The Vendor raised an eyebrow.

“And because she’s a Water Force user, you thought the properties of the pond would… fix her?”

“..........Yeah.”

The stare he received in return was long. Judging. Disbelieving.

Then The Vendor exhaled through his nose and waved it off. “Well… at least you picked the one with the koi fish. Their Elder Tide Force might stabilize her faster than your panicked first aid attempt.”

He stepped closer to the frozen block, eyes narrowing as he studied the scene. Auserre’s condition was stabilizing more than Kei Y had let on.

“Why didn’t you just leave to get help?”

Kei Y frowned. “We’re always brought here. I don’t even know how to get in—let alone leave.”

“You’re an odd one, kid,” The Vendor muttered. “Even if you wanted to, I doubt you could’ve done anything to Master. So… I’ll take your redacted version of what happened.”

He plopped down near the pond, staring into the frozen water with a sigh. The koi fish continued their slow orbit, glowing faintly with Elder Tide Force as they healed Auserre.

“Shame the water froze. Divine Realm experts would kill for a peek at her. Now I’ve gotta remake her disguise again,” he grumbled.

Kei Y scowled. “I’m odd? I don’t even know your name. And I froze the water to give her some dignity, you pervert.”

“Hehehe… probably best you don’t know my name,” The Vendor replied, ignoring the jab as he watched the fish work. “You ever wonder how powerful a name can be?”

Kei Y tilted his head. “Isn’t it just… a name?”

“On the surface, sure,” The Vendor said with a lazy nod. “But what if someone had ill intentions?”

“You mean like hiding a trap inside it?” Kei blinked. “So you’re saying if I knew your name, something might happen to me?”

“Smart kid. At your current realm, you’ve got no idea how valuable Creation Force really is.” The Vendor stretched his arms behind his head, his voice casual despite the weight of his words. “Since we’re here on Earth, I’m rather limited in what strength I can exert in this galaxy. That’s why someone like Pharaoh—an Ascended Core-Evolved, or a Specialist Class by Earth’s terms—could use Breaking Force to tear away Master’s disguise.

“But out there, in the grander realms? Creation Force ranks near the very top. There are entities—powers—who’d go to war just to claim a user of it. If my name spreads too far, beyond the bounds I can control... well, let’s just say I prefer to stay breathing.”

He looked over at Kei Y, his tone turning more curious than teasing. “The fact that you can use it is truly surprising. Not as surprising as you being a God Spark… but still. It’s rare.”

Kei Y didn’t respond immediately. He lowered his gaze, lips pressed into a thoughtful line.

The Vendor, misreading the silence, assumed the boy was reflecting deeply on the significance of his gifts—how lucky he was to wield Creation Force at such an early stage.

But truthfully, Kei Y was thinking—

“Hmm… There should be a God Spark of Creation Force, right? Think you can help me steal it?”

He mentally addressed his title.

[He Who Denies Fate] flared instantly, pulsing with excited light—as if shouting: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

—

Far away, on a planet deep in the Divine Realm, an Ascended Realm Core-Evolved cultivator stirred from meditation. He blinked as his status screen flashed open in front of him.

A flickering title—hisGod Spark of Creation title—was vibrating violently, almost panicking.

“What the—?” He stared in confusion as the title flickered again… then calmed. For a moment, it even looked excited.

Then… disappointed?

“What’s going on with my title?” he muttered. “Why is it acting up? And how the hell can it even do that?”

—

Back in the hidden chamber, Kei Y sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

“…Nah. Probably shouldn’t cross any more lines.”

A beat later.

“Again, anyway.”

"You're not fun," his title flickered unhappily.

"So it’s probably best I don’t know your name, huh?" Kei Y asked The Vendor.

"Only when you’re strong enough, kid. Then come find me in the future—and if you qualify, I’ll let you know," he chuckled, reaching over to ruffle Kei’s hair.

"I'm gonna go bald if you people keep doing that," Kei muttered, swatting at his hand. The Vendor only laughed harder.

"So… is that a title you're using?" Kei asked, glancing at the shimmer of power around him.

"Sort of. More like a profession,” The Vendor replied.

“So Master just has you running around using your Force to make stuff to sell?"

"You’d be surprised at the quality of weapons you can make with Creation Force," The Vendor said. "Also—thanks for assuming it wasn’t entirely my idea."

Kei gave a noncommittal shrug, and the two continued chatting beside the pond.

In the meantime, Kei Y stared intently at the koi fish. His Kaleidoscope Eyes whirred to life—golden irises beginning to twist and fracture, spinning in intricate patterns as the embedded sequences activated. Bit by bit, his gaze decoded the Elder Tide Force flowing from the koi.

A faint ripple of pale blue began weaving itself into the golden puzzle pieces of his irises—each fragment reassembling like a shifting mosaic. It wasn’t just observation; it was analysis, integration. Decoding.

He recalled Seth’s words as he studied the koi, watching the gentle pulses of force they released ripple through the water. Seth had mentioned it before—how he encountered a participant with this force and how Elder Tide was a rare hybrid of Water and Healing Force, functioning far more efficiently than Seth’s own Healing Force.

“Seth really owes me when I get back…” Kei muttered under his breath, his kaleidoscope eyes glowing brighter as Elder Tide’s structure began to unravel before him.

“At least this is one way to access Water Force… Would be faster if I just jabbed my finger into one of their mouths, but…” He sighed. “Mia really likes these fish. She goes all trance-mode when she’s near them, and I’m not about to ruin that.”

His brow twitched. “I like having bones that aren’t shattered.” He felt like he said that in poor taste, but what Mia doesn't know won't kill him.

Nearby, The Vendor couldn’t help but chuckle, marveling at the sight. “Even I wasn’t qualified to get those eyes,” he said with a wistful grin. “And here you are, just wielding them like it’s nothing. Really looking forward to when you hit the grand stage, kid…”

“Can’t you just make these?” Kei asked flatly, without looking away.

SMACK.

“OW—!” Kei clutched the side of his head, glaring at The Vendor.

Then, without warning, a soft cracking sound echoed through the chamber. Auserre stirred.

The block of frozen water shattered around her with barely a flicker of resistance—her body shedding the ice like a silk robe slipping from a shoulder.

She blinked groggily, eyes regaining focus.

Kei Y watched her stir and let out a sigh. “Those fish really are useful. Good thing Mia didn’t let me grill them…”

“Hmmm… fish?” Auserre’s eyes fluttered open as she felt the familiar sensation of her koi swimming around her, their force radiating gently through the water. She couldn’t help but smile and playfully swirl her fingers, chuckling at how adorable she still found them.

Then she blinked, realizing exactly where she was.

“Wait… this is their pond,” she muttered, glancing down to confirm she was, in fact, lying half-submerged in it. Thankfully, a block of ice still covered her body, preserving what little remained of her dignity.

With a subtle gesture, she drained the water from her soaked clothes, drying them enough to make stepping out feel more appropriate.

Her gaze drifted to the two familiar figures sitting calmly by the edge.

“You’re here too?” she asked The Vendor.

“Mhm,” he nodded without looking at her. “You guys were taking a while, so I came to check in.”

She turned her attention toward Kei Y—only to find him staring directly at her, Kaleidoscope Eyes spinning as they continued absorbing traces of Elder Tide. Pale blue fragments are appearing more and more in his irises now.

Before she could say a word, he suddenly launched at her like a cannonball, wrapping her in a tight, unexpected hug.

She blinked, caught completely off-guard by the gesture.

“…How long has he been using those eyes to stare at the fish?” she asked, glancing sideways at The Vendor.

“Not long, really. Like, two minutes?” he replied with a shrug.

“…Did he do anything else to those fish?” Her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone edged with suspicion—as if silently praying Kei hadn’t fed them his blood.

The Vendor let out a dry chuckle. “I don’t think so. By the time I came in, you were already floating in the pond, and he’d frozen your body over. If nothing else, he still thinks you’re a decent person.”

Auserre exhaled slowly, her expression unreadable.

“…Great.”

She looked at Kei Y, still hugging her with every ounce of strength his small body could muster. Her heart swelled. This boy—this unprecedented genius who could shape existence itself—was hugging her not out of triumph, but fear. Fear that he might have lost her.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, gently patting his head. “It was just a moment of shock. Something that small won’t take me out.”

Sniffling, Kei Y pulled away, rubbing at his nose. “I wasn’t worried about you, old hag,” he muttered, eyes red. “You dragged me in here, and I thought I’d be stuck forever. That’s all.”

She chuckled softly and conjured a small sphere of water in her hand. “Here. Catch.”

“Huh?” Kei Y reached out instinctively—but before he could touch it, the ball of water froze midair. Then, responding to his presence, it paused, wavered—and smoothly flowed into his control like it had always belonged there.

“And now you can use Water Force,” Auserre said, watching with a wry smile. “Still don’t appreciate those eyes of yours?”

She was impressed, even if she didn’t say it aloud. He’d managed to decipher the koi fishes’ Elder Tide Force in mere moments with those treasured Kaleidoscope eyes of his.

Kei Y barely heard her. He was already deep in concentration, probing the structure of Elder Tide with careful intent. The water danced across his fingers with surprising ease. His golden irises fractured further—puzzle pieces of light-blue merged in due to their related properties... followed by black and white, Ebb & Flow.

Wooloo’s Ebb & Flow Force resonated within him, its signature rising to the surface. From it, he drew out the embedded Lunar element, weaving it into his newfound water control like he was threading moonlight through a stream.

But he wasn’t done.

To deepen the resonance, Kei Y drew upon his memories with Artemis—her Moon Force brushing against his soul, the weightless pull of her domain in his bones. The moment that memory stirred, the Lunar aspect of Ebb & Flow surged dramatically, the water around him beginning to shimmer faintly with a silver glow, like moonlight on still water.

And then, in a moment of fusion.

Before his eyes, a new force appeared on his status screen:

[Tideborne Eclipse] (Hybrid Force)

Type: Healing / Offensive (Dual-Aspect)

Alignment: Water + Lunar + Healing

Source: Fusion of [Elder Tide Force], [Ebb & Flow Force – Lunar Aspect], and reflections of [Artemis – Moon Force]

A rare fusion force born of aetheric synthesis and mythic resonance. [Tideborne Eclipse] allows the user to alternate between or combine healing and destructive tidal forces, empowered by lunar influence. It embodies balance—capable of mending wounds as easily as it carves through armor. The user may toggle between High Tide (restorative), Low Tide (destructive), or Eclipse State (both).

Abilities:

[High Tide – Serenity Pulse] (Healing)

Radiates restorative lunar-water aether that restores vitality, cleanses force disruption, and alleviates mental strain. Accelerates natural recovery and restores fractured force circuits.

[Low Tide – Ruin Flow] (Offensive)

Manipulates high-pressure tidal currents and lunar-cutting force to unleash physical and aetheric damage. Ideal for piercing defenses and disrupting inner channels.

[Eclipse State – Harmonic Convergence] (Hybrid)

Dual-cast mode. Healing and damage occur in tandem. Attacks restore Kei’s health or allies' vitality while injuring enemies. Also capable of reverse-healing to weaken targets.

His Kaleidoscope eyes began to morph—the pale blue puzzle pieces merged with the golden ones, forming shimmering fragments tinged in gold. Oddly enough, the black and white fragments from Ebb & Flow remained separate, resisting the merge; instead, they spiraled alongside the others in synchronization. Just like the birth of Verdant Volt Force, Kei now possessed another unique force:Tideborne Eclipse.

Back in the Expanse, Seth had just cleared a difficult dungeon alongside his team. As they neared the end, a new skill appeared on his status screen: [Soothing Drift Breeze]. He had no idea what triggered it, but it turned out to be a lifesaver—literally. Dashing across the battlefield, Seth sent pulses of Healing Force from his hands, saving his teammates again and again until they finally completed the dungeon, earning him the rare clear reward.

He stepped out, still marveling at the skill, when—

“Is that wolf thing staring at me?” was all he managed to think before Hachi barreled toward him, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him straight to Kei’s clearing.

“So Hachi’s just allowed to kidnap people now?” Owen asked, blinking.

Seth looked around, thoroughly confused, until both he and Wooloo suddenly froze mid-motion. Their aether flared wildly. Water began coalescing around them, thick with force, as both sensed it simultaneously.

“Tideborne Eclipse Force?” Seth muttered, stunned.

Wooloo tilted its head at the sensation—but instead of sharing the moment, it bleated loudly, clearly displeased. With a stomp, it launched a water lance, imbued with both Low Tide and Ebb & Flow Force, directly at Seth, blasting him away as if to say:

"You're not worthy."

Then it flopped back onto its side and resumed its lazy nap, completely unbothered by the evolutionary leap it had just undergone.

“Every day gets weirder,” Reese mused, scratching his head.

Talia soaked in the hot spring nearby, eyes half-closed, entirely unbothered.

Jenny stretched her arms with a yawn. “You guys really have no idea what you're in for, huh?”

Kaito Ren looked around at the group, utterly baffled. “What the hell is happening here?”