Chapter Text
It was just another beautiful day, or well, as beautiful as it could get in the Endless Abyss. A large flock of Roaring Magma Dream Fire Birds flapped across the red sky, casting a large shadow across acres of land. The black sun was blocked by their orange spectacle as they migrated southwards towards the Grounds of Scorching Ruin.
As the last bird disappeared in the horizon, Shen Yuan went back to tilling the ground in his farm. The Endless Abyss-equivalent of spring had just started, leaving behind the cruel summer that made Shen Yuan almost boil alive. Literally. Now that it was over, it meant that Shen Yuan had no more time to relax. He could go back to his regular agricultural duties. It was the same routine he’d been doing for the past 6 years, and while most would have gotten bored at this point, Shen Yuan liked the gruelling simplicity of it.
The sun kept blazing above as Shen Yuan worked his field, ploughing the acidic soil until it was deep enough to plant the seeds. This spring, he was going to grow Green Spicy Apple Berries alongside Fungi-Tailored Smooth Durian. Later in the spring, right before winter, Shen Yuan planned to plant some Ghost Bambinella seeds. They would grow in a gigantic white tree in a few days: providing shelter to the other crops from the cold while also bearing fruit itself.
After Shen Yuan sowed the last few seeds, he stood and popped his back. A sigh of relief left his lips before he started making his way to his shed. Some summer mold had grown, rotting away the wood, much to Shen Yuan’s dismay. He’d have to disinfect it if he wanted his shed to keep standing. Sadly, he didn’t have any antifungals left and he ran out of the primary ingredients to make them, so he’d have to wait for a merchant to pass by. For now, all he could do was store away his tools.
Shen Yuan exited the shed. He planned to head back to his cabin for a nice long rest, but something was off. He spun around, his eyes landing on the fields before him. Then, he felt it. A strange amalgamation of qi, coming from his right. Keeping his head up, Shen Yuan walked towards it until he reached the fence marking his territory. Beyond laid the Southern Scorch Forest. He jumped over and kept heading in the same direction, stretching his own qi to locate where the other was coming from.
Finally, he arrived in a small clearing where a man stood surrounded by the same migrating flock of Fire Birds he had seen earlier. There were six in total, circling the stranger in an all-too-familiar formation. They weren’t a very big species, but it was still intimidating to be surrounded by them. In the man’s hand was a weak-looking sword. It looked like it was on the verge of shattering. Before Shen Yuan could even blink, the stranger killed all six. Their necks were cleanly sliced open with ash pouring out as the birds fell in sync.
Then, without missing a heartbeat, the man turned. He pointed his sword right to where Shen Yuan was hiding.
“Who’s there?” he yelled, his voice deep and raspy. Shen Yuan blinked, and after a moment of thinking, he decided to reveal himself.
“No need for concern. This one simply lives in the area and had to see what the commotion was,” Shen Yuan said, lying through his teeth. The stranger didn’t need to know that he was actually here to investigate him and his mysterious qi.
“You live here? Believable story,” he replied. Shen Yuan wasn’t surprised. Many sentient beings refused to believe that he actually lived a few kilometres aways from the Grounds of Scorching Ruin, but alas he did.
“This one indeed does live here. I will even show you myself. You look like you need a bath anyway.”
Shen Yuan could feel the suspicion arising from the other, which he didn’t blame him for. As much as the other was a stranger to him, he was a stranger back.
“If you want, we can carry these Roaring Magma Dream Fire Birds to my house. Their meat is quite delicious if served right.”
He grabbed half of the birds and started making his way back to the farm. For a moment, he could only hear his own footsteps, but eventually the other unsurprisingly followed. Shen Yuan peered back for a mere second to check if he was carrying the rest of the birds. Fortunately, he was.
Good, they wouldn’t go to waste.