BXBX NOVEL Chapter 730 The Cup's Location
Lee Seng was up before the roosters even began to sing and the house was filled with noise of his friends getting ready for the day. He put on some clothes and made his way down to the front door. He noticed Ritsuka was sleeping on the couch. He remembered Calis had decided to stay the night after their 'group huddle.' He quietly slipped his shoes on and quietly made his way out of the house.
Lee Seng started his day with a long jog around the town. It was something he had decided to do to work on his stamina. He sucked in the cold air as he jogged. It was the only time to start the day with a clear mind. He listened to his body, making sure everything was in order. It had been for a while now.
He made his way towards the intersection where the road splits into tinier paths. Today, he went down the path that would intersect with the market district or head out of the town. Lee Seng made his way down the path that would head out of town and towards the Druidic temple. It was a roundabout way, but he would still have time to do the path and still see the Priestess in time.
Today would be Lee Seng's, hopefully, last checkup. If all went well, the Priestess and the doctor would tell him he was free to do whatever he wanted and he was back in good shape. The guards acknowledged him as he made his way out of the town. They had seen him take this path many times and it wasn't out of the ordinary after Lee Seng got permission to leave the town.
At Lee Seng's pace, he would make it in about twenty minutes. Lee Seng listened to the birds as they all woke as the suns peeked out from their slumber. Rox'su's anger was burned into Lee Seng's head. The memory is always a reminder at every moment Lee Seng looked up at the sky. It may have plagued him a bit, but it was also a reminder he must be ready for the next part of his journey: finding out what happened on Earth.
Lee Seng rounded the forest bend and came upon the backside of the Druidic Temple. The forest quickly became organized and well kept. The druids who noticed Lee Seng, greeted him as he made his way up the small hill and into the Temple.
"Good morning, Leader Lee Seng. I see you've come bright and early today. Are you excited?" Vel, one of the druid teens asked him. Lee Seng nodded. Vel had been interested in Lee Seng ever since he stepped foot into the Temple. He assumed the girl had a crush on him and didn't think too much of it. Her eyes moved past Lee Seng like she was looking at someone else.
"Hm?" Lee Seng turned. Calis was climbing the hill and coming over to them.
"Is that… A Merman?" Vel asked.
"What're you doing here?" Lee Seng asked Calis. Calis stopped at the start of the Temple stairs and smiled.
"Hello." Calis greeted Vel with a bow. Vel did the same, still unsure why a Merman was even here. "I noticed you left, so I asked Ritsuka where you went. I need to talk to you about something."
"Alright." Lee Seng nodded. "I have some time before I have to go in. Let's, uh, talk over there." Lee Seng pointed off to the right and descended the stairs. He turned to look at Vel and waved at her. "Be back in a bit." Lee Seng and Calis moved off to the side where there weren't many druids and faced each other.
"What's all this about?" Lee Seng asked. "Did you have to talk to me about something now? It couldn't have waited until after my last checkup?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay." Calis answered. "Plus, I noticed you guys didn't necessarily talk about why I came back with the others, so I came to deliver the news myself." Calis shifted in his spot and sighed. He looked down for a moment before returning his attention to Lee Seng. "Y'know I've been looking for the cup for a while now, right?"
"Yeah." Lee Seng nodded, shifting in his spot.
"Well, it left Earth suddenly and the Seers found it recently. That's why your group was called."
"Where is it?"
"It's… in the land of the Dead… The one closest to Earth." Calis sighed. "It hasn't moved in a while and the Chief Leader, and the Seers fear the darkness will only corrupt the cup before it is too late." Lee Seng bit his lip and nodded.
"That's going to be a problem." Lee Seng whispered.
"What is?" Calis asked. Lee Seng turned to look at the Temple. He folded his arms together and listened to the bird's chirp. The memories of Limbo crept back into his mind. He wondered if he'd even survive a second down there.
"Limbo isn't a place for the living to go. It should stay dead." Lee Seng looked at Calis. "If the cup is truly there, I'm afraid the second I step into that place, again, I'll instantly be found." Lee Seng let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes. He turned to look at Calis and patted the side of his shoulder. "If we must go there, then I will do what I can. How much more do your people have to suffer? We'll do what we can with what information I have on hand… The problem will be trying to get the Limbo god and his… partners to let us search."
"You talk as if you have some sort of history there."
"I do." Lee Seng weakly smiled. He looked down at the grass. It was luscious and healthy. He wished he could nap in it. "While Keng was here, I was in… Some sort of trouble." He bit his lip and looked at Calis, who was attentively listening. "I'm not sure you heard but I used to have a Deimon inside of me. Those things that supposedly are out and about on Earth now. They're imitations of Fox Spirits, but instead of harmoniously binding together as one, they tear at each other until one is left… I, fortunately, killed mine and gained all the powers it had, but… I don't know how to exactly use it."
Calis's face was quickly changing from an attentive look to a look of full understanding. All the strange puzzle pieces he had kept in the back of his head regarding Lee Seng finally made sense!
"Ah, that explains a lot." Calis commented. "That's why the apartment went up in flames… Were the other bodyguards in it then?"
"I forgot you were there." Lee Seng told him. "But yeah, my spiritual body got separated from my physical body which had the Deimon inside of it and it caused a lot of… Odd things to... happen. I eventually got my body back through luck, too."
"You weren't in your body? Isn't that dangerous?"
"Yeah, but if the cup's really there, we should find it while we have a chance. Your people shouldn't suffer from this strange affliction."
"Leader Chang?" A female voice called out. Calis and Lee Seng turned their heads and noticed Priestess Ro'sa was waving at him from halfway up the stairs. "It's time."
"Alright, Priestess." Lee Seng shouted. He turned and looked at Calis. "I'll be back. Hopefully everything goes well."
"Alright. Good luck." Calis waved.
"Bye." Lee Seng waved and made his way up the steps to the Priestess. She waited for him and climbed up with Lee Seng. "I really hope this is the last checkup."
"I hope so, too. It seems everything has been going smoothly as of late." Priestess Ro'sa smiled. "Have you been practicing with your aura to regulate the feel of energy?"
"I have, but yesterday was odd, Priestess." Lee Seng told her as they reached the top. The two turned to face each other. "Lily and I went out for a quick stretch outside the gates and that wind came outta nowhere. We were on a tree branch when Lily fell, and I tried to suspend her and myself in mid-air but lost control."
"Strange. You've been showing signs of being able to do simple stuff like that with Vel and the children… Was there anything that you can think of that might have affected that?" Priestess Ro'sa asked. Lee Seng thought for a moment and the red eyes appeared in his head. His face soured for a moment and Priestess Ro'sa watched Lee Seng carefully.
"I saw red eyes after we fell. It spoke to Lily and me, but I was the only one who could understand it. I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but it's just that. I even blasted myself up to the tree branch just fine before the wind happened." Lee Seng recounted. Priestess Ro'sa nodded as the doctor popped up from behind the door.
"Priestess Ro'sa, where—Ah there you two are! It's a good day! Let's begin the checkup!"