Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Eya released her grip on the handle and opened her mouth to say, "I know that voice…"

She opened the door wide and let Kakashi in. he rubbed his face when he walked inside. Now that he knew Eya knew about the voice, too, his heart was beating faster than before.

Finally someone he could share the horror with. He went to the sofa and took a seat while Eya locked the door behind him. But then he thought that if she knew about the voice, why did not she let him in on it?

Well, he answered himself, for the same reason you were not going to let her in– you thought it was your imagination– she must have thought it was her mind playing games on her.

He clasped his hands and waited for Eya to join in. He raised his eyes from his shoes and looked out through the glass door. He saw the woods and remembered the person behind the house.

He got up, closed the curtains, and came back to his seat. Eya had brought him a glass of water and was sitting on the sofa. He joined her.

"He wanted Tengoku, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "When did it happen?" he asked.

She replied, "Yesterday night when you were sleeping. I saw those eyes… I can't describe it. And then I heard the voice– ordering me to bring Tengoku to him."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "I would have prepared myself for the horror." He knew the answer to his question, he knew what she was going to say.

But she said, "If there was someone in the woods, you would be the first one to know. But you were sleeping quietly with no sign of any trouble."

"So you thought it was your imagination?" She was going to say, but he said it for her, so she closed her mouth and nodded.

"What did you see?" She raised her eyes at him.

Kakashi drank the water in one gulp. He said, "I saw the man behind the house. He is real, not our imagination. Whatever the reason is, he wants Tengoku, and he is willing to do anything for it… I saw it in his eyes."

"Oh, god…" She grabbed her forehead and sunk into the sofa. "Wait, if he is real, then can't you sense him or something? Why is he not hurting you?"

"I guess the woods don't sense any danger from him. But who the heck is he? Why does he want him?"

"Did you try to take a look at his face?"

He remembered when he tried to take a look at his face. He shuddered. "No." He shook his head. "I tried to, but all I could see was his eyes. And believe me, I don't want to see his face."

"W-What was he doing?" She leaned forward and saw his shaking hand.

He tried not to remember the scene where he was held like an X in the air by the vines, but it was an image he could not get out of his mind.

"He was in the air… the vines were holding him," Kakashi said. He found it strange now that he kept his fear aside and reflected over it.

The living trees were a product of Hiro's enchantment. And now they were in Kakashi's under control… then how? How the hell were the vines holding the man on his command? Why did not they kill him?

Then he thought of the worst: What if the man had broken the enchantment? What if he enchanted the trees and got them under his control?

Then he felt something soft on his hand. He snapped from the horror scene and looked at his hand. Eya had put her hand on his trembling hand.

"Do you want to check on him?"

He shook his head and pulled his hand out of her grip. "I don't want to. We don't know how long he has been living there, we don't know if he is a demon or something, we don't know his grudge against Tengoku, we don't have his identity, and we don't know his powers. And I don't want to fucking find out either."

He pulled his jacket on and walked to the porch. "We are leaving the house. Take the girl and let us go to the Vr-cade."

Eya turned in her seat and watched Kakashi take the glass to the kitchen counter. "Any threats?" she asked.

Kakashi put the glass on the counter and thought, Is ignoring him alright? As long as he does not harm us, I guess it is alright.

Then he removed his hand from the glass and said, "Except for the haunter behind the house, everything is clear."

He heard Eya rustle and get off the sofa. He saw her going to get Reon when he walked into the dining hall. He gulped and doubted his decision.

But then he thought, What could go wrong? He would not attack us. He wants Tengoku.

Eya stored Reon in the ring and came out of the room. She locked the door, then walked to Hitori. She looked at him, then he moved to the door.

He was thinking about the Haunter even when he opened the door and locked it behind her.

They teleported out of the barren lands. Their plan was to reach the Vr-cade as soon as possible. They did not talk much on their teleportation journey.

But then Kakashi raised a question. "Do you think he will send his men disguised like mages into the Vr-cade?"

They were at the distance from where they could see the rock formation above the Vr-cade.

"Of course, he will… if he is not satisfied, he will continue plotting," Eya said. She turned to him and he was already looking at her.

They both said at the same time: "Let us keep it closed for a few days till things have calmed."

If they were attacked during the three days, they would not open the Vr-cade. But if things went smoothly, they will open the Vr-cade.

He had the key to the Vr-cade. He opened it, let Eya pass, then closed it after scanning the area.