“So, what was your trial like?” Micro asked Blue as she jumped onto his hand, then hopped up to his shoulder.

  “Trial? What Trial?” She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Oh, that! The turtle tried to trick me into moving a mountain or something. I forget exactly what it said…”

  “Did you not try to move it?” Micro asked with a look of surprise.

  “The point was just to kill time, wasn’t it?” she asked with a condescending glare. “Time is nothing to pixies. I could’ve taken my card and left any time.”

  “But you were the last one to wake up,” Micro noted. “Why did it take so long?”

  “She found a tall tree…” the giant turtle interjected with a growl. “She climbed it… and slept…”

  “You took a nap?” Micro asked her.

  “It was wonderful!” she chirped back. “I’m still unbelievably weak, but I haven’t felt so refreshed in ages.”

  “The mountain crumbled under its own weight while she slept…” the turtle groaned. “A terrifying creature…”

  Four glistening Core Cards then appeared in the air before Tae, Kel, and Blue. They glowed vibrantly until each of them was plucked out of the air by its new owner. Micro was disappointed when he realized that both of the cards in front of him were for Blue, but he soon remembered that he had already received the same cards. Kel and Tae were speechless at the sight of their own prizes, though they only received one each.

  “Young cultivators…” The turtle turned its head to Kel and Tae. “The path ahead of you is often clear… though your eyes may be clouded…”

  “Old soul…” It then turned its head to Blue and Micro. It spoke more quietly as it addressed Blue. “The usual reward alone would be insufficient… But there is something I can give you…”

  The turtle’s eyes began to glow, and before Blue had a chance to run away or hide, it sent out a wave of energy that consumed her tiny body for a brief moment, like a flash of green lightning.

  “What the?!” she cried out. “Did you just… How the… Hey!”

  “With a core… You will be able to make use of that card…” it explained. “You may cultivate as you wish…”

  “I’m a pixie!” she shouted back at the giant. “I’m not a dirty, stinking, no good… Hey… What the… I can’t… It’s stuck… How do you get rid of this thing? Take it back! Eww!”

  She rolled around on Micro’s shoulder, sparks flying here and there as she wrestled with the new energy within her, but her frustrated voice indicated she was unable to rid herself of the gift. While she continued to struggle, the turtle turned again to Micro. He thought he could see the turtle grinning, but he wasn’t sure.

  “And you…” It squinted as it looked into Micro’s soul. “Your own core is…”

  “I know, it’s in pretty bad shape…” Micro looked down and shrugged. “Feng said a master would help me patch it though.”

  “An artificial core… incompatible with the energies within… bound by the oath of a… dragon…?” The turtle mumbled as it inspected the Jade coloured core within Micro. “But not quite… I see…”

  “You have good eyes,” Micro complimented the dungeon’s guardian.

  “Entering this dungeon has strained your core greatly, despite the oath’s protection…” the turtle continued, then closed its eyes and drew a deep breath. “I’ll offer an oath of my own…”

  Micro felt the creature’s powerful aura penetrate his chest for a moment. He closed his eyes to look at his core, and noticed another ring surrounding it in addition to the one Ray had placed there. The first ring was blue and resembled water, but the newer ring glowed like a small flame.

  “It is not as powerful… But it will give you more time…” the turtle explained.

  “Is there a contract this time too?” Micro asked.

  “There is…” the turtle replied. “Do not let fate pull you from the path you have chosen, and my blessing shall follow you…”

  “Oh, that’s not bad,” Blue remarked, having given up on removing her new core. “Fate is tricky though, so you might still die.”

  “Thank you!” Micro said as he waved to the turtle. “We should be going now.”

  “Very well…” the turtle replied as portals appeared behind the four. “Safe travels, strange soul…”

  “Wait, that’s a pi—” Tae’s voice echoed as they disappeared into the portals.

  ~

  “Ouch.” Micro let out a quiet yelp as he landed on the cave floor with Kel and Tae on top of him, pressing him into the ground, his rusty armour making a horrific noise as it scraped the rocks beneath him. Blue rolled off his shoulder onto the floor in front of him with a small thud.

  “Young master!?”

  “Tae?!”

  “The boy!”

  “Pixie!”

  In a chaotic scramble, two of the cultivators who had been mourning the loss of their young master ran to pick Kel up off of the ground, while two scrambled to crush the ethereal little creature in front of Micro with their shields. Blue was unable to get out of the way of the incoming attacks, but Micro quickly scooped her up and dropped her back in his pocket before the shields hit the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust and sparks.

  “I told you to wear your seatbelt—” he began to rebuke her, but realized his error quickly with a sad look of shame on his face. “I need seatbelts… What kind of truck has no seatbelts at the very least…”

  “Was it really a pixie?” one of the men coughed as he waved his hand to clear away the dust.

  “I lost it,” the other replied. “Must have been passing through.”

  Micro stood up and pushed his way through the chaotic crowd of cultivators as they danced and celebrated the young master’s return from the trial. The two cultivators who lost sight of the pixie quickly gave up their search and joined the celebrations. They noticed the Jade Fire Turtle Art Core Card in Kel’s hand immediately, and the excited screams that followed began to make Micro’s ears hurt.

  “All that about a little green card…” Blue scoffed. “A bunch of big babies, if you ask me.”

  “It’s nice to have hobbies,” Micro replied with a warm smile. “They don’t have to be everybody’s hobbies.”

  Blue shrugged, then settled into his pocket and continued to hide. Around the time when the party’s excitement began to subside, the group noticed Tae holding the same card as Kel, and their celebrations temporarily gave way to silence, followed in turn by a swarm of questions. Eventually, their joy and curiosity gave way to exhaustion. They didn’t even notice the glowing dungeon gate vanishing at first, but nobody was sorry to see it leave.

  “What a day, huh…” Micro walked out of the tunnel they’d made and realized he was feeling weak with hunger. He sat down on a pile of rocks and leaned his head against the cold cave wall, closing his eyes with a deep sigh.

  “This thing is really stuck in there… That stupid turtle…” Blue’s muffled voice stirred Micro from his half conscious state. “What kind of pixie has a cultivator’s core?! It’s so gross and green and… Wait… Hmm…”

  “Are you okay, Blue?” Micro peeked into his pocket.

  “This might actually come in handy…” she mumbled back.

  “That’s great!” Micro replied.

  “I’ll never live this down though…”

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  “Oh…”

  Their conversation was interrupted when Kel came bursting out of the tunnel. He looked frantic until he caught sight of Micro, then let out a sigh of relief. Micro waved to him, but was confused when Kel suddenly knelt down in front of him and placed his forehead on the rocky ground.

  “Micro—No, Master Micro,” he said with a distinct air of humility, bowing his head repeatedly. “I owe you my life a thousand times over… I am forever in your debt!”

  “You’re welcome?” Micro shrugged.

  “As heir to the Jade Fire Mountain Turtle Sect, I swear never to forget all that I owe to you!” Kel shouted at the ground, his trembling voice echoing down the dark tunnels of the cave.

  “What the…?” Confused voices could be heard from the recently constructed tunnel’s entrance as Kel’s five comrades joined him in the cave.

  “Kel, what is the meaning of this…?” Den called out to his master with indignation. “How could you—”

  “I swear the same, master!” Tae’s voice interrupted Den’s as she joined Kel on the ground before Micro.

  “Tae?” Den blurted out. “What joke is this? To such a boy as—”

  “Kneel as the young master does, Den!” Tae fiercely rebuked him. “Do you not see Kel on his knees while you all stand around like a bunch of vagabonds?!”

  Confusion and anger flashed across Den’s face, but he quickly realized the severity of his disrespect to Kel, and he led the others quickly to join Kel and Tae in bowing before Micro, daring not to protest despite his ignorance. After an awkward moment passed, Kel slowly rose to his feet and addressed his comrades.

  “I apologize, old friends,” Kel began with a quiet voice. “Our sect is indebted to this child. If not for his generosity and guidance, I would have spent an eternity withering away.”

  Kel’s explanation drew expressions of confusion and shock from his companions, but they listened in complete silence. Micro began to look around the cave, wondering how much longer they would be staying there.

  “He is more worthy than I to carry on the Turtle Art tradition, but I will not falter on my own path,” Kel continued with a fiery tone. “No, never again will I dishonour myself or my ancestors. Never again will I succumb to cowardice in the face of destiny. I swear to those who bear witness that I will prove the life you saved is a worthy life!”

  “Humility is one thing, but to place such importance on this child…” Den said with a humble tone, though he cast Micro a conflicted glare.

  “I speak the truth, as one who has experienced his power firsthand,” Kel replied sternly. “Let there be no doubt!”

  “Forgive my insolence, young master,” Den replied with a bow, accepting Kel’s words. “If your path is set, we shall follow!”

  “Okay,” Micro interjected with blank eyes. Micro felt rested enough to continue his journey, so he stood up and walked up to Kel with a smile. “Let’s go.”

  “As you wish!” Kel said happily. Micro’s declaration had only made the air around Kel’s confused attendants colder, but Kel offered a reassuring smile. “Let our journey begin!”

  “Lead the way,” Micro said cheerfully. “You said you have a dungeon at home, right?”

  Kel nodded, then gestured to Tae, who stood up quickly and took a map out from her side pocket. The other four remained silent, as if waiting for words that made sense to call them back to reality. Tae traced her finger along the map for a moment before pointing past the group.

  “If we continue that way and keep to the right, we could save a day on the way home,” she stated confidently. With that, Kel gestured for his comrades and Micro to walk with him in the direction Tae suggested, and their journey began once again.

  While walking through the cave together, Kel took his time formally introducing his comrades to Micro. Micro was already very familiar with Tae, but he was pleased to learn more about the others. He was particularly interested to hear that in addition to the Spirit Shield Skill, all of them had mastered a different Core Card, which qualified them to serve as Kel’s attendants.

  Tae had mastered the Spirit Vision Skill, a skill which Micro was also keen to learn. It allowed her to see energy more clearly, which allowed her to see in the dark, and even see things too far away for her comrades to notice. Micro was most interested in the way it made her eyes glow, but she didn’t understand his reason why.

  Den’s skill was a more straightforward ability called Block. The Block Skill improved his ability to react to and defend against enemy attacks, making him a useful bodyguard to Kel.

  The other woman in the group was called Kas. She was a quiet woman, but the skill she had mastered was called Hammer Fist. When she balled up her hand into the shape of a fist and raised it high above her head, it would begin to glow. Micro had noticed the way she could smash rocks to pieces by using her hand like a sledgehammer back when they were excavating the dungeon portal.

  The fourth member of the party was a thin man named Sung, who had mastered the Spirit Scent Skill, allowing him to identify smells that most people couldn’t. It made him valuable in tracking things, and Kel asserted that it served him surprisingly well in combat.

  The fifth man, Bol-En, was the youngest among them, but his skill stood out among the group. The Spirit Claw Skill gave him the ability to manifest sturdy claws from his aura, which could easily cut deeply into the rock wall.

  Since they were all dressed nearly identically, in loose fitting robes and green headbands, Micro still had trouble telling them apart, but he enjoyed their company more after learning a little bit about them.

  Kel was the only member not to have mastered an additional skill yet, but he felt that his recent experience in the dungeon had given him new insight to the Jade Appraisal Skill Card he possessed. He believed it would help him compensate for his shortcomings by giving him better insight and perspective.

  As the group settled into a steady pace, Tae explained what had happened in the dungeon, emphasizing Micro’s role in leading them to complete it, while Kel spent his time talking with Micro.

  “Master, please tell me more about the ‘trucks’ of your world,” he humbly pleaded.

  “Sure,” Micro replied. “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything!” Kel nearly shouted in excitement.

  “Well, I don’t have my manual with me, but ask me anything.”

  “Are there many of you?”

  “There are millions, probably,” he replied. “All sorts of shapes and sizes too.”

  “Incredible…” Kel gasped, his imagination reeling. “And what cause do you serve?”

  “What cause?”

  “Yes, master. What is your purpose?”

  “We’re driven…” Micro scratched his head. “Our purpose is to move when it’s time to move, and we stop when it’s time to stop…”

  “Incredible…” Kel soaked in every word. “But… by what are you driven?”

  “Oh, the old man,” Micro replied with a wide grin. “He drove me all over the place. We saw mountains, oceans, cities, forests… We went everywhere together.”

  Micro’s voice faded to a melancholy mumble as memories of his driver came to mind, but Kel’s enthusiasm was contagious.

  “I cannot fathom a being worthy to be your master… Amazing… And what of your studies? Were you a member of a sect?” Kel’s questions quickened. “What arts did your master practice?”

  “Studies? Well, I guess I learned a lot from him…” Micro thought back to all the time he’d spent with the old man and his passengers over the years. “I learned a lot on the road… There’s a lot of things I didn’t understand until recently though.”

  “You recently achieved enlightenment?!” Kel gasped again.

  “I’ve been experiencing things the way my driver does, more or less,” Micro replied thoughtfully.

  “So you were a nomadic sect, I see…” Kel nodded, committing every word of Micro’s explanations to memory. “May I ask what it is you came to understand so recently?”

  “Well, I always knew my purpose, deep down,” Micro replied. “I knew he relied on me… I knew he cared for me… But I was never able to think about anything like that before…”

  “Ah, I understand.”

  “You do?”

  “We have all taken for granted the things we should cherish most…” Kel spoke softly and glanced toward Tae. “But some of us are lucky enough to realize our mistakes before it is too late.”

  “I think my main problem was not having a brain.” Micro frowned and scratched his head. “It does a lot of work on its own, but it’s exhausting…”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, master,” Kel consoled him. “It is the folly of youth.”

  “Well, I shouldn’t complain about having a brain now.” Micro said through a strained smile. “Everything is so different now. Well, almost everything.”

  “You refer to your new vessel?” Kel gestured to Micro’s body. “It is certainly not worthy of a master such as yourself, but do not fear. A cultivator’s physical form is the least of their worries. We’ll find a way to repair your core, and your body will strengthen with time.”

  “This body really is weird…” Micro agreed.

  “Is there anything in particular that bothers you about it?” Kel asked in concern. “I am no expert on the evil machinations of magicians, but I have heard that they construct such vessels with great care. There have been many powerful summoned beings, after all…”

  “No tires, no headlights, no doors, no bumper…” Micro began to list strange words one after the other to Kel’s dismay.

  “These are things you would normally possess?” Kel asked with an eyebrow raised.

  “I wouldn’t be a truck without them,” Micro replied, his tone indicating that such a thing should be obvious. Imagine waking up without your feet one day, or your eyebrows!”

  “The ‘trucks’ of your world are mysterious beings…” he whispered in awe.

  “Well, that’s why we come with manuals…”

  As Kel and Micro continued to speak of Micro’s homeworld, Tae and the others tried to make sense of Kel’s interest in Micro. Though they understood that Micro had saved Kel, the fact remained that he was summoned to their world by magicians.

  “He’s the natural enemy of our kind…” Den said with a heavy tone. “But he’s nothing like the horror stories you hear…”

  “Even if his intentions are innocent, he could be dangerous,” Kas added.

  “Kel’s word is law, as far as I’m concerned, whether we understand it or not…” the young Bol-En asserted during a lull in their quiet conversation. “Remember your place.”

  “You’re right,” Kas agreed, nodding her head. “We’ll come to understand Kel’s mindset in time, I’m sure. Let us remain vigilant in our duties and guide the young master safely home.”

  “The young master has decided on his path,” Tae said sternly. “Our place is beside him.”

  “Agreed,” Den confirmed.

  “I also agree,” Sung concluded.

  “Agh!” Micro suddenly cried out, falling to the ground with a crash.

  “Master!” Kel rushed to his side, his face white with horror. “What’s wrong? Are you injured? Is it your vessel?”

  “Sorry.” Micro smiled back at him while massaging a small cut on his shin. “It’ll take me a little longer to get used to legs.”