บท 96: Into The Fray
*I'm cooked chat. New chapter tho. Peace out and Deus Vult*
Mark walked away from the scene, smoldering with anger and thoughts, nothing coherent coming to him. The most he could think of was a million ways in which the timeline could be affected. His nose bled for the first time in a long time as the headache began increasing to levels he couldn't fully fathom. It was an impossible task, but he had to hold on. The only thing he could do was go for absolute power, to overcome anything that would come his way.
"Benefactor!"
The voice snapped Mark out of it all, bringing him back into reality and the world around him. For a moment, the air seemed crisper than usual; the memories of a foretold future he changed, hitting him like a bullet to the knee. He spun in place, watching as a joyous Tingyun was dashing his way, waving and smiling like she saw the best deal possible in her history as an Amicassador.
"Benefactor, you're here! Congratulations on winning the Luminary Wardance!" she said, stopping right in front of him, flailing her fluffy tail around. Mark smiled slightly and met her gaze.
The smile she had on dwindled slightly as she finally saw the true tear and wear etched into his features. The traces of purple under his eyes now closer to black, accentuated like never before. Even during his time in the Alchemy Commission after the battle with the Lord Ravager, he didn't look that bad.
"What happened with you?" she asked softly, her tail lowering itself a little, coming to a halt.
"A lot, Tingyun... a lot," he whispered, throwing out no more details than needed. He stared at her, taking in the details of her face, staring into her eyes as if scared that he'd see those burning traces of Phantylia somehow still in her head. Just like him, she saw how deep the hollow, sparkless gaze of his ran, not finding the bottom.
"You seem so down, benefactor. Madam Yukong told me to find you, saying something about needing to talk with you about some specific issue, stating that you should know of it."
Her ears fell down, almost like a sad kitten. She sighed, tugging on his remaining sleeve.
"She also got dragged to some party after General Feixiao came by and heard of it, saying that it would be the best way to get you to attend."
Mark sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, almost crashing out mentally. One day he would somehow make Feixiao grow a tail and pull on it just for the hell of it.
"Wait, I could do this now, maybe with the Abundance... never mind, scrap that."
She tugged on his sleeve slightly, hoping that he'd go with her.
"Fine, fine, no need to pull on my sleeve like that. I'll just tag along, alright?"
She smiled, beaming as he relented and decided to just go along rather than fight it off for longer.
"Perfect, benefactor. Don't worry, they have good alcohol prepared, top quality, and perfect for you to enjoy."
He chuckled slightly, shaking his head a little while following the foxian, her joy contagious to a certain degree. It almost felt like he was back to playing the game and laughing at how quickly she wanted to be rid of extra responsibility, even though that was Phantylia. Still, she did mimic Tingyun, so one could argue that the behavior was true at the core.
She walked eagerly, her steps springy, moving by his side while humming happily.
"Benefactor, do you have any interesting stories from your travels?" she asked, smiling like a child eager for a story. Mark sighed, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Well, not a lot of interesting stuff happened," he answered curtly, not really eager to talk or discuss too much about his endeavors.
She puffed her cheeks, her ears moving down once more.
"You're no fun, benefactor. What about that title of 'Saviour of the Dream'? Come on, there has to be a story about it."
He sighed, clenching his jaw slightly, his eyes darting to his new arm on pure reflex, the feeling of his own blood running through it suddenly a weird notion. It wasn't his flesh, the one he had been born with, but something strange that ran beyond his full comprehension.
"Story," he whispered, thinking about Himeko and that scene in his mind, the gentle passion of the kiss lingering as the most beautiful memory ever since he had arrived in that world. Even then, it went up in flames the very next second, and the feeling wasn't even real—it took place in his mind, a different plane of existence. Still, the emotion was there, and both could communicate it with that gesture.
Tingyun awaited, eager to hear what the man had to say. With a bitter sigh, Mark's gaze softened, giving way to a touch of resignation and resentment for none other than himself.
"Just call me Mark, alright, Tingyun? I'm not one for titles and stuff. Benefactor, whatever... I just want to be me."
She nodded, her expression softening.
"I will. My apologies, Mark."
Still, she waited, hoping to hear at least something of the events that had earned him that title. With a reluctant movement of his lips, the words began flowing out, speaking of his battle with the creature, but he didn't discuss what it was. Some things were better left unsaid to some, known only by a few. Tingyun listened intently, focused on each word that left his lips, absorbing it all like a sponge. He described his battle to the best of his abilities, motioning with his hands, showing as much as he could however he could, summoning the Sword of Will itself to show it off.
Their whole talk lasted until they reached the entrance to the Seat of Divine Foresight, where Jing Yuan's office could be found. Mark's eyes took a long look at the area, his words halting in his throat.
"That's an amazing story, Mark. Your arm grew back after that happened, and now you're even stronger than before. You saved your friends and everyone else, thus preserving the Dream. I'm impressed," she smiled softly, her friendly demeanor melting his resistance. He was cursing himself for being so soft at the core.
"It is what it is. Stuff happens, and I just roll with it, but I'd still wish to somehow roll away from this stupid drinking game or whatever," he sighed, but Tingyun gave him a soft pat on the shoulder.
"I suggest you quickly talk with Madam Yukong and then see that you manage to escape," she chuckled softly, pushing him in.
"Huh, what? No need to rush me, you know?" he sighed, smiling slightly as he just moved along. "Are you coming too or?"
She nodded, smiling.
"Of course I'm going too. What else am I supposed to do? Plus, have I not told you? It's high-quality alcohol for free."
The two made their way inside, and the scene was already hell itself. Jing Yuan was seemingly asleep, resting his head on his desk. Huaiyan was watching the scene unfold before him, drinking quietly in his own spot with Dan Heng by his side, the two sober and discussing. Stelle and March were both red in the cheeks, dancing and singing, taking photos and laughing loudly, while Yukong was trying to calm down a drunk Feixiao who was shouting and causing a mess, falling and twirling in her drunken stupor.
Mark stepped into the room, unseen at first. Tingyun followed behind, ready to turn tail and leave since the mess was too much. He simply walked inside, his steps silent and cold. The very moment he got closer, he pumped a strong 60% output in his body, simply to pressure everyone into the room with sheer energy.
At once, all eyes were on him. Jing Yuan snapped out of it, sitting up in his seat. Dan Heng and Huaiyan both turned to look at Mark, while Stelle and March scuttled over and nearly fell while trying to get seated. Yukong let out a relieved sigh as Feixiao stopped, turning her gaze at the man, smirking while slurring her words.
"Look who finally arrived!" she shouted, tripping over herself while trying to walk closer. Mark increased the pressure just a little, ending with her falling on her butt. He just stopped the energy, returning to normal.
"Madam Yukong," he said coldly, the scene having already flipped him off so badly that his jaw was clenched. "Tingyun informed me that we needed to speak about something. I guess it's related to the issue we discussed with me as Five, right?"
She nodded, trying to stand up and walk out of the place with him to talk, but Feixiao was having none of it. She made her way to Mark, holding on to a large container with what Mark thought to be wine. He didn't know much about those specific things, but they looked like what he had seen long ago in a video with her being drunk—thus his worries on how it might all go south kicked in.
"Maaaark, let's drink. Come on," she blabbered out, pointing the container his way, the liquid dancing from side to side as her wobbling arms were trying to steady themselves.
"Walk off," he said bluntly, grabbing the large container and putting it back on the table. He motioned for Yukong to come outside so they could talk, but before he could leave, a hand grabbed him by the collar and yanked him around, right face to face with none other than the drunk general.
"Where are you running off, huh? You're no fun," she cried out, her speech still a mess. Mark sighed, staring coldly at her despite the pouty expression made. Had it been himself from a while back, he'd have no issue with a little party, but the current him wanted nothing more than a moment of silence to sort out his thoughts and try to figure out what the fuck is wrong with him on a fundamental level. The noise in his head was too much.
"Feixiao, you're drunk. Let go," he growled, annoyed as one could be. He was close to grabbing her ears and twisting them.
Her eyes scanned his, the drunken haze visible in her own. With a pout, she spoke up.
"Why are you like this? The others told me you used to be fun. You'd make crappy jokes and laugh, come up with crazy stunts, and somehow scare everyone by speaking like you knew them better than themselves. I've seen that too, but you barely said a thing."
She pulled him closer, her ears twitching ever so slightly as her canines showed slightly, the warmth of her breath tickling his lips.
"Just what went wrong, Mark?"
He slowly grabbed her hand, unclutching her fingers from his clothing.
"I owe no answers, but instead I am owed a few," he said dryly, walking away to talk with Yukong, but not before freezing her legs to the floor so she'd stay still at least for a few seconds before breaking it.
Tingyun watched the scene unfold, quickly walking out with Mark and Yukong, choosing to give up on the free drinks in favor of peace and distance from Feixiao.
"How did it go, Yukong?" he asked calmly, trying to drown out whatever emotions were close to pouring over thanks to the earlier scene.
"Well, it was close to failing," she said softly, trying to focus on the actual matter at hand. Mark knew that in the game, things didn't go as expected, but he still had to try, hoping that maybe it would be different if the public changed its mind a little. "However, it went through. It was the Marshal who somehow caught wind of the request, since it was you who vouched for Samantha."
Mark damn near slapped himself after hearing that. More and more people were slowly showing interest in him, and it's all the factions he'd want to avoid being indebted to, and rather having them owe him debts. It made sense for everyone to want him joining their cause, since he was an unseen wildcard, and for those with enough information or at least the ability to guess, he was a walking powerhouse capable of storing Stellarons and drawing out their strength.
"I see how it is. So, it's actually happening. I'm glad, then. Thank you, Yukong."
She nodded, smiling softly. Tingyun lingered by their side, and Mark let out a soft sigh as he crossed his arms, watching the two with an eerie sort of comfort and worry for the altered future. Still, he'd manage somehow. He'd face it all if it meant that those happy faces he dreamt of would become a reality.
"Is something wrong?" asked Tingyun, noticing how his gaze was out of it. He shook his head, smiling a little.
"It's fine, I'm just thinking."
"It must be a little shocking to hear that the Marshal herself took an interest in you, right?"
He shook his head, speaking calmly, his words calculated.
"Not at all. It's bound to happen. I somehow joined the fray and ended up against a Lord Ravager, then cleaned up the entire Abundance left around. Of course she'd ask that whatever information related to me appears should be sent her way. Better to try and make me an ally in case I one day get stronger."
He sighed, staring up at the sky. Nighttime had fallen before he could even comprehend it. His mind was a hazy mess filled to the brim, and his head felt like bursting.
"Mark," said Tingyun, her voice soft and worried. "How about we walk back and I show you to some nice accommodation for the night? You're clearly tired."
He nodded, rubbing his tired eyes with a grunt.
"Sure, sounds divine. I just need some sleep," he yawned, covering his mouth.
Just like that, he walked away from the scene, bracing himself for whatever the future might hold.
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